FateDecimators
by Fan Rider Ryu
Summary: 23 years after a Unlimited Blade Works route ended with Tohsaka's victory, another Grail War is taking place in the "adorably" named Seihai City. Why is another Grail War occurring? Who are the Masters participating? And why are...they the Servants being summoned?
1. Chapter 0-1

Disclaimer: We do not own the Fate series. If we did, this one would have had Gilgamesh castrated half-way through Fate/Zero.

 **Disregard previous statement; my co-writer is a Gilgamesh hater.**

No shit.

Also yes, I'm collaborating on this fic with a friend(s). Because I cannot handle this madness alone.

Chapter 0-1: The Hell Did I just Summon?

* * *

/Basement of a Farmhouse, 9:12 p.m. (Sunday, Week 1)

"Eiji! Eiji, can you hear me?!"

"Yes mom, I can hear you just fine. Congrats on getting the video phone to work."

"Oh, so you're mouthing off now that you're not at home. Feeling brave just because I'm not in the same room as you?"

Sweatdropping in fear, the boy quickly changed his toned from annoyed to cautiously respectful.

"No no no, I just meant it's great that you managed to get the phone working without me or dad walking you through it."

"What makes you think I can't operate a simple phone?!"

Eiji thought back to the time his mother zapped their Blu-ray player to cinder because she didn't know how to record his favorite Tokusatsu show while he was away at school, but decided it would be best to bite back his tongue and keep that memory to himself.

"Well you know, you're always going on about how the normal people keep making technology more and more complicated, so I just thought-"

"It's not more complicated, what are you trying to say… they just keeping adding unnecessary features and moving the menu options around so as to seem 'new' and innovative, and all those other foolish words those sweater-necked idiots spout."

"Mom…"

"Oh I'm just teasing, Eiji. Now, more importantly: did you get all the ingredients that I listed for you?"

"Well I had to go to Akihabara to get what I wanted, but yeah. They had a prop from the season I watched as a kid, and I got this cool bike two days ago. Had to take out to engine to lie it in the circle, but I should be able to reattach is once the summoning is complete. Strange thing, some otaku handed me this belt from some recent series as a gift, from which I could sense a ridiculous amount of prana radiating from it."

"Well okay then, you have your 'relic', as it were, ready. How about some animal's blood?"

"I am not killing an animal to summon a hero. Seems really hypocritical, don't you think?"

The lady on the phone's screen sighed and nursed her brow in her hand, closing her eyes and she tried to find the patience necessary to educate her child.

"You're not killing a child or anyone human, it would just be a chicken or some hares you could easily find around the neighborhood. We chose a house for you near all the things you could possibly need."

"All I need mom is the power and lessons you and dad left me, and then there are the funds for house. Besides, you yourself said silver works just as well as blood."

"It's easier to clean up the blood afterwards."

"I'm doing this in the basement; no one will come down here."

"What if when you throw one of your parties, and a couple comes down here to-"

"Mom! I'm not going that have a party in the middle of a Grail War! That's just asking for people to get hurt."

"You are so like your father. It would be adorable if that didn't mean you were also so thickheaded."

Sighing, Eiji continued to drip the liquid silver onto the sketched rune circle on the floor. The basement he was in was filled with unopened boxes. There was a closet made of white wood propped in a back corner, and upon further inspection one could see that the contents poking out of it seemed to be old blades, as well as some jewelry that seems more appropriate for someone in their early 40's. Eiji had in hand an old looking grimoire, (though a fresh looking grimoire would defeat the purpose of being a magical book full of secrets, now wouldn't it?) and was squinting his eyes at a passage, seemingly having trouble deciphering it. His mother chuckled on her end, apparently knowing exactly what he was struggling with.

"Your father and I wrote you a simple incantation, Eiji. I know you didn't get to finish studying German before you left home, and you're not required to speak one particular language to summon a Servant. Aunty Altria speaks perfect Japanese around Shirou and me, whoever you summon will do just the same."

"Why can't Aunty Artoria be here to help me, though? She's survived two Holy Grail Wars, that's definitely experience I'd like to have at my back in case my Servant ends up being Shin-chan."

"Why would your Servant be a children's anime character?"

"I don't know, why did the Caster you fought get to summon a samurai as an assassin?"

"Just summon your Servant, dear. Mommy can only afford a few more minutes on this blasted machine."

Nodding, Eiji dropped the last contents of liquid silver into place, tossing aside the beaker it was residing in and letting his cloak billow as he started his incantation. Before he could though, his mother chimed in one last time.

"Seriously boy, use the blood of an animal. Look, there's a lizard scurrying over there in the corner. Grab it before it gets away."

Whenever his mother has had to repeat herself, it was best to have it only happen twice. Knowing this all too well, Eiji sighed and relented to her proposal, chasing after the scurrying creature and catching it easily.

Apologizing silently as he held the little animal aloft, Eiji brought out a knife and slit the tiny animal's throat, pouring its blood into the circle. In doing so he accidently nicked the side of hand, and while he winced at the pain he bit back a curse flying out of his mouth, instead finally getting to his summoning chant.

"Let silver, blood and prana guide you to my side!

Fill yourself on my purpose, let my will be your anchor!

You will be my weapon, and I will be your guide!

I shall be your tactician, as you render our foes asunder!

Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise! Rise!

Rise nine times, and kick aside all distractions!"

The room started to tremble; as Eiji felt the room getting darker, snuffing out all the candles inside. Primal animal cries started to fill the room, as well as visible spirits of reptilian and beast like wraiths soaring across the walls and ceiling. Quite a few turned to look at Eiji, or rather at his bleeding hand, until a bunch of them formed this hydra-like phantom. They arched back, ready to strike at the young man like a choir of cobras. Eiji reached back into his satchel, fingers grasping for his combat gems, when a roar erupted from the summoning circle, and a figure forming there shouted at the phantoms, dismissing them into wisps of smoke?

"…where am…?"

"Who are you?"

"That would be your servant, dear. It doesn't look like he has a sword on him."

The being before Eiji was crouched young man, with a neck covered with black tattoos. Or rather, they seemed like tattoos as first, until they started to recede and the man started to calm down. Eiji noticed he was holding his waist, and upon looking closely he saw that the young man was actually grasping the belt the okatu had given him earlier. As the young man started to stand up, his eyes shone a bright red, and a green mist like aura radiated off of him.

"Master…are you…my master?"

Eiji saw that the Servant he had summoned seemed a bit confused, and Eiji started to worry that he'd messed up.

"Um yes, that would be me. Do you remember who you are?"

"…Haru…ka."

"Haruka, is it? Okay then. My name is Eiji. Tohsaka Eiji. I'm a mage, and if you'll have me, I'll be your Master in this sixth Holy Grail War."

"Grail…war? What do I…have to do?"

"Oh Eiji…"

"Not now mom!"

Eiji's mother, for those of you who haven't guessed it by now, is Tohsaka Rin, and she was trying to hide her laughter at the result of her son's summoning.

"Eiji, you have that look you get when you don't know if you've screwed up, which usually follows with you running off to your room and berating yourself for an hour over a single, minor mistake."

"My servant is addled, how am I supposed to feel about this?!"

Rin just smiled calmly and continued to explain.

"Son, relax and observe your situation. Your Servant's either just drained from the summoning, which will wear off within a day, or suffering from at least a level D Mad Enchantment effect."

"Mad Enchantment? But that would mean…"

"Berserker."

Rin smiled as the Servant spoke in her stead, glad that it was at least capable of understanding that much.

"Yes, as your servant's said, you've summoned a Berserker, Eiji. A rather calm looking one at that. Maybe this will be a good thing."

The frustrated boy swung around so as to face his mother, the look on his face showing that he was anything but reassured by her observation.

"A good thing? This guy's going to be constantly draining my mana, and that's not even getting into the fact that whatever skills this guy's got, he won't be able to really use them now."

"I can fight."

Eiji turned away from the perched phone to view his Servant, who was putting on the cosplay belt, only now it seemed better detailed and the eyes glowed. In fact, the belt was almost organic looking in nature now, and as it locked on around Haruka's waist, it seemed to bond with his flesh. Eiji reached into his cloak's pocket, his hands gripping some green gems as he steadied himself.

Great, the first thing my Servant does upon me summoning him is try to attack me. I'd have settled for a Caster or Assassin, but why'd my Servant have to go and be a Berserker?

Haruka's eyes shifted at the sight of something, calling Eiji's attention to the window he was looking at. There were shadows shifting about outside, and briefly the young Tohsaka caught sight of someone's leg running by. Bringing out three green gems, two in his left hand and one in his right, he moved to throw them at the window, but stepped back quickly as he saw a Human-Eating Fairy familiars flying towards his face

" **AMAZON!** "

Taking the left grip of his belt and throttling it like a motorcycle's hand grip, Haruka leapt forward as his body burst with a green-fiery like aura, knocking aside Eiji and blowing back the fairies. Eiji looked up to see a green, reptilian armored man in the place Haruka was, gripping and crushing a bunch of fairies in his claws. The appearance Haruka had resembled an old Tokusatsu character, but with some modern updates and lacking the scarf signature to the early era. Haruka looked back at him, and though Eiji couldn't quite see his face through his new…mask, he felt no malice coming off of his Servant. Towards him, anyway.

"Wait a second, you're a….no way. You're a-"

"Stay here!"

Jumping out of the basement's window, Haruka charged outside like some sort of werewolf. Not being one to follow commands well, Eiji got up and rushed outside, taking the normal way out through the stairs and living room door.

When he reached the yard, Haruka was thrashing at some chimeric monstrosity. The top half resembled a large wasp, with four humanoid armored arms and stingers located on the upper set of arms' wrists. The bottom half was that of a human, literally wearing a pair of jeans, and in one case a flowery skirt. There were 3 of these chimera's in total, and they were all emitting the Human-Eating Fairies from some hive like growth on their backs.

None of this seemed to be concerning Berserker.

He was focusing one of the (possibly) male Wasp-men, slashing at it with the blades on his forearms, and kneeing it when it tried to retaliate and charge him. It's male friend tried to come at him from the side, but Berserker just jumped and rolled over his back, stabbing into the hive growth with his fist. He then violently pulled out, having taken hold of the creatures spine and breaking it as he 'freed' it from the chimera's body. The female and remaining male chimeras tried to double team him now, but he viscously parried their jabs and slashed back, before grabbing the male chimera's stinger arm and stabbing his remaining companion with it.

"Jesus, my Servant is brutal!"

With one more target remaining, Berserker kicked the Wasp-man back, who got right back up and tried to leap at him. In answer, Berserker throttled his belt's left grip again, the belt this time crying out as he did so.

" **VIOLENT PUNISH!** "

Jumping to meet the creature in mid-air, Berserker slashed the Wasp-man across his chest with his forearm's blades, the force this time being so strong that the trees off across the field started to creak as the strike landed. As the two creatures touched down on the ground again, the Wasp-man turned around, seemingly unharmed. However, it lurched in pain, before his top half collapsed backwards separately. His legs fell down on their knees, and then just tipped over on its right side, spewing yellow blood over the grass.

And the trees that where creaking suddenly had multiple branches crash down, as if cut by the wind gusted from the attack.

Eiji's jaw dropped from the beginning of the fight, and now at its conclusion he was finding it hard to hide his astonishment. Berserker seemed to being calming down, while still looking to be breathing heavily after finishing off his last opponent. Suddenly, he perked his head up, like when a dog has caught whiff of some intruder.

Taking ahold of the belt's right grip now, he tugged it out and along with it came a bladed metal whip, which he launched in the direction of the shed nearby. All the while the belt was giving out another cry.

" **VIOLENT BREAK!** "

A man's voice cried out in pain as the whip snared around his leg. Having found his target, Berserker pulled, just enough to fling the man over to him out of the shed, but not enough to tear his leg off.

Yet.

Coming over to see the person his Servant had caught, Eiji recognized the uniform the man was wearing.

"Great, a Mage Association lackey. So you punks don't like to play fair anymore?"

Managing to appearing tough through the pain, the mage answered the young man.

"Tohsaka! You were warned to stay out of this War! Your family has already wasted two Holy Grail Wars, costing the Association two chances of finding the Root!"

"Pretty sure my family is the one that's been doing the warning. The Grail's corrupted, and no one should be using it until a way to purify it has been found. Which by the way, isn't us endorsing the Battle Royale bullshit these wars having been promoting for years."

"I can understand your idiot of a father having no respect for our ways, but your mother was raised a proper mage. Does that Tohsaka whore have no class whats-"

Eiji was more than prepared to shove a Gravity Gem down the man's throat, and watch him turn inside out for talking about his mother that way, but his Servant moved before him. Grabbing the man's face, Berserker squeezed ever so slightly, causing his fingers to indent the man's skull. To both of the mages' surprise, Berserker spoke in a complete sentence.

"Do not speak of his mother that way! You don't have enough of a spine to survive that!"

Running his fingers down the man's face, cuts followed, including over the mage's eyes. Blinded now, the man fell back and grabbed his face, shrieking in agony. Eiji looked over at his Servant, a mixture of awe and annoyance on his face.

"I can defend my own family, you know."

Berserker look over at his master and after a brief pause nodded in acknowledgement. Eiji realized how ungrateful he sounded, and looking away he swung his arm up in an attempt to look like a cool guy, dismissing the incident.

"But thanks. I guess it's more merciful than what I had planned."

Now Berserker tilted his head to the side, confused by his master's shifting attitude. Eiji scratched the back of his head, trying to figure out what do to do next.

"God, everything's moving so quickly. I'm just trying to get over actually summoning a Servant, and even if he's a Berserker he's got his head mostly there. But then these Association idiots have already found one of my hideouts, so I'm…"

He glanced over at Berserker, who was shimmering as his green 'Amazon' form receded.

"Scratch that, we are going to have to find a new place to camp out. I mean mom guessed that those guys weren't going to be too happy about a third modern Tohsaka competing, not after grandpa's flop and mom's own…adventures. And that's not even getting into dad's side of the family."

Haruka glanced over at the still wailing mage, the look on his face like he slowly understood what was going on.

"What about him? Should we really be discussing this in front of an enemy?"

Realizing that he was ranting, Eiji face-palmed in frustration.

"Damn, mom's right. I really do need to pic my moments to reflect better."

Looking over at the mage, Eiji sighed as he walked over to the mage.

"Well, it's not the family way to kill you, but we can't let you go chatting about what you saw here."

Pulling out at paper slip, Eiji made motions in the air as he read off an incantation in some lost tongue. The man's wailing quieted down, as the wounds on his eyes started to repair. However, it was not the healing part of the spell that was silencing him.

Haruka looked inquisitively at Eiji, confused by his seemingly merciful actions towards his enemy.

"Why did you heal him? Not that I don't approve, but would that really keep him from spilling your secrets?"

"Oh not likely; which means it's a good thing that geas is a two-fold spell. It gives something back to the target, at the cost of their memories. For the past 4 hours anyway, so if he got some cute girl's number 3 hours prior to attacking us, not my problem. Plus, I added a bit were he can't raise a hand or spell against me, for at least a week anyway."

Hearing this, Haruka seemed to smile a little. Eiji was a bit put off by this.

What, after all that carnage he's responsible for, my Berserker is concerned with his opponents? Well, better than him being an angry version of me from the future, trying to snuff me out. Can't say I'm against a Servant with situational restraint.

Looking back over at the mage, Haruka pointed at his still wounded leg with his free hand.

"What about his leg? Your spell doesn't seem to patch that up."

"Fuck his leg, I ain't that nice. Come on, we got some packing to do before he regains consciousness."

As they headed back downstairs, it occurred to Eiji that he'd left his mom on the phone this entire time.

"Aw crap…"

* * *

Expect the next "Ch.0" entries to come out throughout the week. There are some recognizable families appearing, as you can see, and more unexpected Servants.


	2. Chapter 0-2

"Disclaimer: We do not own the Fate series. We'd have Gotten F/GO a lot quicker if we did.

My Comrades commentary will be added with later Chapters, worry not.

Chapter 0-2: The Marked Warrior's Revival

* * *

A young girl walks in the snowstorm, alone and scared, unaware of the amount of time that has passed since she became separated from her parents. Had it been mere seconds, minutes, hours? She no longer knows how long it's been, all she knows is it will be getting dark soon and the snow was beginning to pile up, making it harder for her to move. Her body was slowly starting to go numb.

"Mom…..Dad!"

She cried out, desperately trying to hear a response through the gusts of wind. But it is too late, her body can't go on anymore, the cold has finally gotten to her. Feeling her slowly losing consciousness she continues to cry out, hoping that her parents will eventually come and save her, like they always did.

"Mom…..Dad!"

She cries out again, as it's her only hope, her only chance of being saved. Suddenly in the distance, she sees a silhouette moving toward her direction, could this be one of her parents? Overcome with joy she continues to yell toward the silhouette, attracting its attention.

"Mom….Dad!" she screams.

The silhouette is moving into my direction, it has to be mother or father, she thinks to herself.

Suddenly she realizes four more silhouettes behind the initial silhouette, and as the silhouette begins to move closer to her, the face once full of joy and hope, quickly turns to that of terror and despair. The silhouette wasn't a silhouette of one of her parents, but a leader of a pack of wolves. As the wolves get closer she feels herself finally losing consciousness. Her vision starting to fade, she can barely keep her eyes open. She cries out one last time.

"Mom…..Dad….save me….please!"

The last thing she sees before she falls unconscious is a wolf lunging at her, and then everything went white.

* * *

/Einzbern's Castle, in the middle of a German Forest, 7:09 a.m. (Monday, Week 1)

"Ahh"

Hoshi screams as she wakes up in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. It took her a minute to realize she was only reliving the fear and terror that she had experienced that day.

"Tch, the same dream again."

She growled and shook her head, the dream having had disgruntled her.

 _How on earth am I going to win the Grail War if I am afraid of my own dreams?_

She looks at her clock and noticed that it was 4:00 A.M.

 _Well I guess one of the benefits to having these nightmares is that it gets me up early enough to train._

She started to prepare for her daily regimen.

It's been the same schedule for her for the past 18 years. Wake up, train, and sleep, over and over in a never ending cycle. Around 8:00 3 individuals dressed in cloaks appear in her training room.

"Huh, you guys are early today, aren't you?"

She smirks as she says this, causing one of the hooded figures to reach in its hood and pull out a string of hair that manifested into a dagger and launches it directly at Hoshi. Hoshi easily dodged the dagger and prepared to face the two figures charging at her. Each of those figures pulled out their own strand of hair; one of them creating a sword out of their strand, and the other turning theirs into gauntlets. As her opponents attacked her, Hoshi managed to dodge each of their strikes gracefully, eventually running past them to her first target: the hooded figure who threw the dagger at her. Before he could even react, she kicked him in the face, knocking him out.

She turns around to prepare to fight the other two figures. The one with the sword charged at her. She noticed the way he was holding the sword and used this observation to predict the angle and speed at which it would strike, allowing her to dodge it with ease. As the sword swung down, she used the opportunity to dash behind her opponent, revealing a flowing red garrote wire hidden in her watch, and started to wrap it around her opponent's neck. Hearing her last opponent running in her direction, she spun around the individual she had in her wire and used him as a meat shield to block the blow from the gauntlet hooded figure. Having no need for the shield anymore, she discarded her opponent, who after being punched by his ally, was unable to stand up or move.

Her final opponent charged at her, closing the gap in between them. Seeing the damage done by his previous attack, she realized that one strike would be enough to finish her off. Unfortunately, she was also aware that this opponent was much faster than the last two, so she was forced to use hand-to-hand combat against him. She dodged each of his attacks swiftly, patiently waiting for an opportunity to counter attack. As she ducked and weaved, she noticed that he would overextend some of his punches. After his next few swings, she dodged the last attack, slid under the arm to where the elbow was, and struck it with a large amount of force, causing the elbow to be dislocated. This strike caused her opponent to fall to the ground in sheer pain, incapacitating him. Hoshi stood over her three opponents, satisfied with her victory.

"Must you be so aggressive during these training sessions?"

The voice came from near the door of the room. Hoshi turned in the voice's direction and saw a young man with pale skin, white hair and red eyes.

"Of course, Marco; the Grail War is a fight to the death. If I'm going to train for it, it would be best to fight as if my life depended on it."

She says with a smile on her face.

"I suppose you do have a point there."

Marco replied with an expressionless face.

"I am assuming you haven't eaten breakfast yet?"

Hoshi replied.

"You know I haven't; it takes time away from my training."

"Not eating at the appropriate time will have an impact on your health and your ability to fight. I will be having breakfast myself right now; you should join me, as we have some important matters to discuss."

Marco then turned to leave the room. Hoshi, intrigued by what Marco said, decided to accept his invitation, tossing her work out towel onto the face of one of her downed training partners.

Sitting at a table, in an extravagant dining hall, Hoshi and Marco eat silently. Hoshi, starting to become annoyed with the fact that this meeting is taking time away from her training, voiced her impatience to Marco.

"So what is this important matter that you have to discuss with me?"

She said this while cutting her food with a knife. Marco glared up at her after finishing a bite of his food, replying in turn.

"I assume you are aware that the Holy Grail War will be beginning soon?"

"Of course I know, I have been preparing for it for 18 years."

"Indeed you have" Marco replies "and as a participant in the Holy Grail war you are required to have a Servant assist you."

Hoshi, well aware of what a Servant was, responded curtly.

"Great, so when exactly do I get my Servant? I'm going to need to develop strategies around its class and attributes."

"Unfortunately that's the catch. In order to receive a Servant you, the Master, must summon it."

The Einzbern's taught Hoshi many things about Servants; however, they seemed to have omitted the lesson on summoning. Hoshi's tone became more serious.

"And how do I do that?"

"Well, in order to summon a Servant, you will require a catalyst. Unfortunately, the Einzbern's have been unable to find a catalyst that can be used to summon a decent Servant, until now that is."

Marco expressionless face seemed to turn into a faint smile.

"When will we start the summoning?" Hoshi asked.

"The preparations for the summoning are being dealt with now. I will lead you to the room momentarily."

"Alright, what type of Ser…?"

Hoshi stops mid-sentence, as she notices the room has become slight colder, and she instinctively arms herself with the knife that she has in her left hand. Within seconds there were three ice shards coming straight at her from nearly point blank range. She is able to avoid the shards and instinctively strikes at their source. Merely seconds after she dodged the ice shards, she had her knife pressing against Marco's neck where the jugular vein is located; one more push of the knife would kill him. Hoshi lets out a chuckle and smiles at Marco.

"You're always trying to keep me on my toes, aren't you?"

Marco, keeping a calm expression even with the knife pressing against his neck replied.

"Well, you did say that you dislike having breakfast because it takes away from your training, so I decided to take advantage of that. No matter, it's about time that we proceeded to the summoning room."

Hoshi removed the knife from Marco's neck and followed after him.

Hoshi and Marco arrive in an extravagant chapel filled with pews. At the end of the chapel stood and altar with a spear and a shield resting on top. Surrounding the altar was a strange circle, made from copper, with strange markings on the inside. Marco hands Hoshi a paper and gives her instructions.

"Recite the incantation on the paper while focusing your energy on the catalyst; this will allow you to anchor the spirit in the world."

As Hoshi began to make the preparations for the summoning, she felt both excitement and anticipation. Finally all of her years of training would come into fruition, on this day, she would summon her servant. However, the Eizenberns did not inform her of what spirit she would receive, maybe they didn't even know themselves. Once all the preparations were complete she began her incantation.

"Fallen Hero, I call you in my time of need!

Through this pact I will you bring you back into this world!

Become my weapon and lay waste to all who stand in my way!

Fight for me and I will never abandon you, no matter what perils stand before us!

Now arise my servant and together we shall defeat all of those who oppose us!"

With those final words coming out of Hoshi's mouth, a strange symbol appeared on Hoshi's hand. The room began to become filled with a blinding light. Once the light began to dim and both Hoshi and Marco bean to regain their vision, they noticed a man standing behind the altar. In front of them was a middle-aged tanned man with markings on the right side of his body. His upper body was without armor aside from one piece covering his shoulder. The rest of his attire appeared to be akin to something similar to that of Ancient Greece. Without any words or hesitation the man picked up both the shield and spear in front of him. Wanting to break the ice, Marco begins to walk up to the man.

"Greetings, I am Marco, and this young lady is Hoshi, your master….and what might your name b.."

Before Marco could even finish his sentence the man began to charge at him with a high amount of speed and vigor. Marco was hit by the man's shield and was sent flying, before he could even retaliate. The man then turned his attention towards Hoshi.

Within seconds he closed the gap between them and attempted to impale her with his spear. Hoshi was able to dodge the spear, though just barely. She was shocked at the speed the spear travelled coming at her. Throughout her training with the Einzberns, she had never seen an attack move with that much speed and animosity, not even from Marco. It was only from sheer luck that she was able to make it out un-skewered.

Quickly shaking out of her shock, she instinctively retaliated against the man and launched a kick at his lower stomach. The kick managed to connect, however Hoshi's leg was stricken with extreme pain. To her, it felt as if she just hit a piece of thick steel.

 _So this is what a Servant is like._

After her kick connected, her opponent ceased all actions, even though he could have easily ended the fight.

"You would fight against me?"

Hoshi appeared confused to his question, understandable given the man's attitude thus far. The man noticed this and rephrased it.

"I am a Servant, my powers and abilities exceed that of any human."

"I am fully aware of that."

"Then why bother fighting a battle you know you cannot win?"

"Falling down and accepting defeat is not my style. Even if the battle an impossible victory, I refuse to simply kneel down and accept defeat."

The room was filled with silence for a brief moment, until eventually the man broke it.

"So you are my master, are you not?"

He said this while looking at Hoshi's hand. Noticing this, Hoshi looked at her hand and saw a strange marking on it.

"That mark is the symbol of our pact, and as long as you wield it, I will follow you."

Surprised by her Servants sudden change of personality, she responded as best she could.

"You're willing to follow me? Weren't you just trying to kill me before?"

The man smiled and replied.

"Yes I did; but you, my master, have shown that you are worthy of my respect."

In response to what her Servant said, Hoshi smiled, seeing that she will be able to along with her Servant.

"Oh",

Hoshi just came to a realization.

"I never asked, just what type of Servant are you?"

"My Servant class is Lancer."

Just then, Marco appears, heavily battered from the assault he experienced a few moments ago.

"Well, glad to see that you to a both getting along. Now that everything is in order, we can begin to make our departure to the place of the Grail War."

"And where is that?" Lancer replied.

"The Grail War will be taking place in a city in Japan called Seihai city. Since most of the Servants are being summoned, I would advise that we make our way there as soon as possible. The Einzberns have already prepared a plane that will bring us to the city, whenever you both are ready to go."

Lancer looked at his Master.

"Whenever you are ready to depart Master, I will follow."

Hoshi smiled with confidence.

"Well, there is no reason to waste any time. We'll be leaving now."

Lancer smiled approvingly at his Masters command. With that, the trio prepared for their departure to Seihai City, for the battle of a lifetime.

* * *

So yeah, the Einzberns just don't know when to quit. They really, **really** want to win.


	3. Chapter 0-3

Disclaimer: We do not own the Fate series. For if we did…

 **Vanitas: "If there's a Nasu law that's getting in my way, I'm just going to stab it with rule breaker."**

 _Forsaken: Fate/Grand Order beat ya to it, Vanitas_

…yeah, as you can see, best we keep our act to the internet…

Chapter 0-3: The Heretic from the Stars

* * *

"Alright, how about this; I'll fight with my left hand, while my right arm is strapped behind me. In fact, just to make things interesting, I'll also be blindfolded. Sound fair?"

The three mages, each holding a glowing rapier of their own, growled in great annoyance at the cocky attitude of their sparring partner. The mages were dressed in clothes that could pass as regal to the untrained eye, with fancy vests and gear you'd expect to find on a lord or duchess.

An assistant came up to the man who was speaking before, bringing forth a cloth with which to blindfold himself and bindings for his right arm. The challenging mage was wearing a red coat, with an arm-guard strapped to his right arm, protecting it from the shoulder to wrist. His jabot held a Topaz pendant, with his family symbol frozen in black in the middle. He had on long red boots, like those of ancient royalty, and black pants. His rapier was also glowing, but it is also carried engraved runes along the blade and cross-guard, as well as holding another Topaz gem on its pummel.

As soon as the assistant had finished handicapping the confident mage, one of the other three lunged at him with their rapier. The blindfolded mage swayed out of the way of the attack and struck with the pummel of his rapier into the man's back. The impatient attacker hopped forward, nursing his injured back with one hand and angrily pointing his rapier at the blindfolded mage with the other.

"What is the point in engaging with these ridiculous exercises?!"

"You mean other than keeping us in tip-top condition?"

The blindfolded mage's taunt earned him a sneak attack in the form of a plasma bolt headed for the back of his head. Turning to meet the bolt, he raised his blade to intercept the blast, which absorbed the spell into itself. The blindfolded mage flicked his rapier with a motion that discharged the energy down to the ground besides him. This pissed off the one that fired the blast even more.

"Damn you Aramis; we're mages, not Neanderthals! Why must we continuously indulge in this foolish pastime of yours?"

The first attacking mage had recovered and was unleashing a flurry of strikes upon Aramis, who gracefully blocked and parried each blow. This assault did not prevent him from responding to the bolt-chucking mage, speaking in a relaxed manner.

"Isabelle, you of all people should remember that a powerless mage is a dead mage, save for the mage who prepares themselves. You do recall that time in Toulouse, with the magic suppressing circle and the incubus who had a crush on you?"

Isabelle's left eye twitched at the mention of the incident, and she started to form another plasma bolt in her hand.

"You're going to quit bringing up the Toulouse incident every time I question your idiocy."

"I'll stop mentioning it once you actually prove there to be stupidity to be found in being able to hold off three mages with only a rapier and old family enchantments."

Taking this as a sign to start his own attack, the last of the other three mages charged forward, pulling back his rapier so as to impale Aramis with his first lunge as he drew near. Aramis, not moving his blinded gaze from the previous opponent, ducked down and rolled back, after which he kicked the incoming enemy into his friend. Realizing mid-flight what was happening, the 3rd mage only managed to twist the blade away from where his ally's heart would be, piercing his lower abdomen instead. Aramis then got up and briefly dusted himself off, before shimmering away like a ghost and reappearing behind Isabelle, his blade raised to her throat.

"I'd disengage that spell if I were you, dear."

There was a crash as the training hall's doors sprung open. Three men in grey uniforms rushed in, locked their gazes onto Aramis, and bowed deeply.

"Lord Aramis, the preparations have been made. Please, the other Lords and Masters are waiting."

Removing his blindfold and the bindings on his arm, Aramis addressed the closest attendee.

"Clifford, have my children arrived?"

"Yes Lord Aramis."

"And the relics, are the researchers sure they're what we require?"

"With the utmost certainty, my lord; the relics assembled will grant you the strongest class of Servant the Grail can bestow: the Saber class."

Smiling, he tossed aside his bindings onto the floor, motioning for the attendees to rise and patting Clifford on the chest.

"Excellent. Then let us be off. Come along, you three, we'll have a healer deal with Denis' wound on the way."

Grumbling, as if it could change the situation they had brought upon themselves, the three other mages got themselves sorted and followed after Aramis, to the summoning room.

* * *

/Clocktower, Mage Association, London, 8:10 a.m.

The Manticore Fireplace was a new addition to the Clocktower's rooms. Named as such for the various statures of the mythical beast, the huge oval room was a favorite spot for the Lord Aramis, but also the least cluttered with valuables in case the summoning of a Servant was of a more volatile nature.

Bursting into the room from behind two large golden doors, a little girl and boy ran up to hug Aramis, who knelt down so as to receive them at their level. His eldest, a 16 year-old, kept back with the other mages, but waved warmly at him from afar as they entered as well. The little girl hopped up so as to be caught by her father, effectively knocking the little boy out of his grasp in doing so.

"Father, are you really going to summon a swordsman? A real swashbuckler?"

"Of course, my dear Constance. But come now child, am I not myself a real swashbuckler?"

His son giggled a little at this comment.

"Mother says you're more a parading peacock than a musketeer, father."

"Oh really?"

Aramis had to hold back a chuckle as he saw his son's face change from a grin to imitate what he thought a peacock looked like, putting his hands in front of his mouth like a beak but resembling more an annoyed toucan than what he imagined. Clifford came over and tapped his lord on his shoulder, pointing in the direction of incoming men and women carrying various trinkets.

The mages were dressed in typical civilian clothes, and a few of them had satchels filled with rolled up parchments. They made various clanging sounds as they moved into the room.

"Ah, are these our researchers?"

"Greetings, Lord Aramis. It is great honor that we present you with our findings today. Behold, the treasures of the Victory Crater."

Three researcher mages assembled themselves into a row, placing the artifacts they had brought down before them. One set down a small sphere, no bigger than a baseball. The woman who had just held it seemed like she couldn't back away from it quicker.

"Should I be worried about that thing?"

"Just be sure no one presses that little button on the top. Not if they want to keep all their limbs, let along their lives."

"That sounds like quite the trinket."

The woman simply nodded in response, continuing to back away all the while.

The next researcher left a small handle, which earned him an inquisitive look from Aramis.

"What's that little thing?"

"We're not completely sure, sir, but the information we've been able to unearth from the site suggests that it was used as a weapon by the supposed invaders."

"Supposed?"

"There are some…disagreements among the heads of the project over whether or not the forces that the Banished "Warlock" were truly beings from beyond the stars, or just a forgotten civilization he burnt from the history books."

"Well, that's neither here nor there. Do you all think this artifact is important enough to resonate with a heroic spirit from this 'civilization', alien or not?"

"There's enough evidence regarding that to unite our top scholars, certainly."

"That's all I need to hear."

Finally, the last researcher came with a much easier to identify relic: a strange looking helmet, one that look like its wearer had a rather long neck, and a strangely roundish face.

"Was that some war horse's helm?"

"That's one of quite a few working theories, Lord Aramis."

"I'll put money down on that theory."

The mage gave Aramis a bemused looking, before nodding in acknowledge meant of his choice. This puzzled Aramis, though Clifford leaned over to his ear to clear up the matter.

"I believe Monsieur Fabron is of an opposing theory, and is simply taking note of your bet, sir."

Chuckling at the thought, Aramis walked over and inspected each relic, while behind him the other mages set up the summoning circle. Pacing back and forth in front of them, he settled on the handle in the middle.

"I'm certain that helm is some beast's armor, and I'm not settling for a Rider. Whatever this trinket is, it had better give me a Saber."

Turning around to see the circle nearly complete (Mages' Association interns work overtime), Aramis made a quick check of the items being used; powdered Ox bone, silver, and a gallon of cockatrice blood. Placing the handle down in the middle of the circle, he stepped back and let his subordinates complete it. Once they had finished, he held out his hand and began to chant.

"Be obedient and heed my call!

Be born again on this Earth, and let your Legend grow twice as large!

Twice, thrice, a hundred times let it restart!

May this land, nay this world know your power!

As you know now who guides it!

Be my sword of conquest, and we'll carve our names on Eternity!

Let me be thy closest glimpse of Heaven!

Let our foes see you and preview Hell!"

What the assembled mages expected was for something akin to lightning to burst forth from the circle, accompanying it the Servant that their Lord Mage had summoned. To their complete surprise, that particular preceding effect was not what occurred.

A sphere, like a localized storm, erupted and engulfed the circle. Aramis leapt back to avoid being caught by its sudden emergence, with a slightly bit of concern showing on his face.

Within this storm, the handle that Aramis had chosen began to float in the air. As if in answer to it, or rather the true cause of the handle taking flight, a thing like a hand appeared from the storm inside the circle, and grabbed the handle. It was in fact a hand, though not one belonging to a human, or anything known on this planet.

As it had done this, more of the Servant, if it could even be called that, began to materialize. Its legs were like a satyr's, though lacking fur and with black skin, and slightly scale-like in look. The armor it wore looked bronze, though had an unknown quality to it that made most in the room unsure as to what its actual qualities were. Its mouth was striking, being mandible-like and quadruple-hinged, and its head was covered in a beak like helmet, similar in design to the helm that Aramis had dismissed as a beast's helmet.

 _Well I wasn't completely wrong, now was I?_

The Servant seemed to be observing all of them, passing his gaze over each Mage before settling his vision on Aramis. He growled, pointing a finger on the hand wielding the relic in his "Master's" direction.

"Human! What is the meaning of this?! What have you done to me?!"

"Well friend, I believe I summoned you from beyond death. To be my Servant in this Holy Grail War. Surely, this knowledge was already provided to you by the Throne of Heroes?"

"I feel…something forcing that information into my mind. But I don't recall agree to being anyone's servant ever again, least of all sorcerers like you!"

Befitting a being summoned as a Servant, the speed with which the creature dashed at Aramis was the definition of superhuman. Faster than most eyes could register, the creature was in mid-air, his free hand extended out to grab at Aramis' neck as he flew at him. Aramis managed to raise his rapier in time, and with a quick incantation encased himself and the blade in a barrier, though he was still knocked back into the wall behind him by the impact of the creature's blow.

"Father!"

"Daddy!"

"Dad!"

The creature turned in the direction of the crying children, who were barely able to register what had just happened, and saw their father get sent spiraling backwards at frightening speeds. Seeing it staring at the young mages, the rest of the room reactive defensively.

"Don't you dare, monster!"

"What I dare to do, you would hardly be able to stop, human."

Every one of the adult mages began firing off various spells, from bombarding assault spells meant to level walls or vehicles to restricting spells, in an effort to slow down or ensnare the rebellious Servant.

All of this while knowing what chances one normally has against a Servant: slim to none.

In response to their attack, the creature charged at the one who called him a monster. The mage frantically fired off more and more spells, but to his horror found that his spells were being repelled off of the creature. Within the next half of a second, it would be only a foot away from him.

"It's a Saber class! How else could this thing reject our magic like this?!"

If the assembled mages weren't concentrating on keeping themselves and the children alive, they'd be sure to congratulate Aramis on summoning his desired Servant.

The creature lunged forward with the hand wielding the handle, and from it burst twin energy blades on either end of it, surrounding his hand and flowing on forward. Body checking the man, the mage was sent flying back into a table, knocking it down with him as he tumbled to the ground.

"Saber. Yes, knowledge of that classification is ringing in my head. What nonsense have you all brought me from beyond to partake in?"

Coming to his feet, and raising his arms at the creature, the injured mage cursed at the Servant.

"Be silent! Servants are just tools, what benefit is it to us to tell you our goals?!"

Scoffing in disgust, the creature gave the mage a dirty glare as he lowered his blade to his side.

"Speak to me in that tone again, mage, and I'll show you what exactly this 'tool' is capable of."

Whispering out a small chant, the mage traced symbols in the air, and above the creature appeared two phantom like beings, similar to cherubs. They were holding batons, and giggling like children in innocent joy.

With a word from the mage, their faces changed to demonic smirks, and their batons transformed into tridents, which were engulfed in greenish hellfire which they fired down upon the Servant. Their weapons broke upon the creature's shields, which shimmered for a moment before apparently dispelling, leaving the creature with apparently no protection.

"Now, while the thing is defen-!"

Appearing in front of the mage before anyone could move, the creature's blades impaled the mage, who he then into the air before tossing him aside.

"Were you going to say 'defenseless'? Hardly."

Turning to face the rest of the mages, the creature practically spat out his challenge, pointing his blades at each mage as he addressed them.

"Whatever deities you choose to still worship, send your pleas of mercy to them, for you'll receive none from me."

"Oh, my God would be rather annoyed with me bothering him with that,-"

Turning to face the voice challenging it, the creature found Aramis lunging forward with his rapier. His forehead was bleeding and there appeared to be some damage to his right eye, but he was strong enough to charge down his insubordinate Heroic Spirit, and force him to raise his own blade to parry.

"-so I rather just bring you to heel myself."

The creature's face was very hard to decipher, but Aramis swore to himself that he saw it smirk after he had spoken.

"So you think yourself as tough as that 'Demon', do you?"

It forced Aramis back, though the man steadied himself and took up his fencing position, one arm behind his back as he raised his rapier.

"I've been called similar before. This demon of yours, is he the reason you like a cat dragged through a tar pit?"

Chuckling, the creature took up his own stance, saluting his opponent as he replied.

"Not that is matters, but the concept of beauty is not something I'll consider, coming out of the mouth of a fur challenged old human like you."

Grimacing, as the creature had struck a sore point, Aramis rushed forward and struck out with a flurry of stabs.

"It's hair, not fur!"

"So far as I'm concerned, it's all the same with you mammals."

The creature didn't seem too concerned with Aramis' strikes; until after one particular blow it appeared as if Aramis' arm was still coming down to slash at him.

"By the Ancients, what is this soc-?"

Slashing upwards and downwards at the same time, Aramis struck at his Servant with both his real and phantom right arm. The creature moved backwards, not truly harmed but his armor was clearly chipped. Aramis swiped his blade through the empty air, showing off his spare ghostly arm hovering over his right shoulder.

"How was that, creature? Do I match this demon of yours yet?"

To answer, it just rushed him and struck back, forcing further taunting to cease for the moment.

In fact, with the way the intensity of each blow increased, Aramis doubted he'd have much of a chance to survive this duel. So despite his personal disappointment on the matter, the sword-wielding mage resolved to expose his secret technique.

Using his phantom arm and blade to slash his own palm in-between blocking blows, Aramis started to chant. A silver and blue aura rose off of him as he did so.

Down my line, lies many a foe

A clan responsible for widows in the hundreds

And orphans in the thousands

Let one more sin mark my family

 **Dance of Ancestors: Stinger!**

His phantom arm and the aura he was manifesting swirled and merged with his right arm. His eyes began to glow a similar color, and behind him various men and women appeared as apparitions. The creature took note of this, but did not relent in its assault. Managing to knock back one last blow, Aramis then lunged forward directly towards the Servant's chest. It was more than capable of bringing its blade back down to block the blow, but the force of the attack did knock him back quite a few feet, surprising him.

Being exhausted from this last attack, Aramis fell forward, having used up his remaining energy and still injured from the creature's previous assault. A few mages moved to grabbed, the remaining aiming at the Servant in defense of their companions, but their actions were unneeded. The creature had gone invisible again, and reappeared alongside Aramis, grabbing him before he touched the ground and calmly lying the man down against the wall.

"Daddy!"

Ignoring the rather scary being towering over their wounded father, Aramis' youngest children Constance and Louis ran to his side. The creature did not move in response, instead just staring down at the barely conscious man.

"You fight well, human. Even in the face of a foe you have little chance of defeating."

"How can I know that, if I'm still alive and well enough to try?"

"You know the strength your 'Servants' have when summoned. We are beings meant to be many times more powerful than a mere human, and even those others are just human Heroic Spirits."

"Yes, you've made very clear that you are not human. Mind telling me what exactly you are then."

Nodding, to the surprise of the rest of the room, the creature answered.

"I am the Arbiter, a member of the proud Sangheili race. I am not of your world, nor do I think even this reality. The humans I fought, and later fought alongside were a stubborn race there as well. And their 'demon', an exceptional human himself, was one of the few of your race that I personally respect. As for your unspoken question…"

He brought his sword arm up to his chest, in salute to his Master.

"I am of the Saber class, and if this coming war is of such importance to you, then you shall have my aid, human."

The sangheili's sudden attitude shift startled and confused the assembled mages. Aramis' children looked up at the being that had just fought their father, now claiming to fight alongside him. While still in pain, Aramis laughed a little at this.

"Was the fighting really necessary, if you were going to work alongside me anyway?"

"I wished to make sure that you were a being with a spine, worthy of the respect those from my reality had earned. Had you not been, human, only your offspring would be leaving this room."

Constance stuck out her tongue at Saber, who turned away from her gaze nonplussed. A mage came over to tend to Aramis' wounds, who rose up as she was working on him.

"Would it kill you call me 'master'? It is my title in our little arrangement."

"No person that is below me in power, 'command seals' or not, is my master. And I am done being in service to masters."

"Can you at least call me by my name then? I do have one."

Saber moved to leave the room, looking back in annoyance at Aramis.

"Not too long ago, you were hurling insults and childish comments my way, and now you wish for civility. Very well, Aramis. Will referring to you as such still your tongue to some extent?"

"I promise nothing."

Slightly amused by his "master's" cheekiness, Saber vanished from sight and brushed by mages invisibly, while the others rushed over to Aramis to steady him as they helped him leave.

"Lord Aramis, we must beg your forgiveness. Has we known these relic would bring forth such a vile and unruly Servant, we'd have smashed them to pieces rather than return with them. Please, we ask that you not speak of this to the council."

"Are you kidding? I got a Saber, and a tough one at that. What have I to blame you for?"

Startled by the man's attitude to the situation, the head researcher babbled on.

"Sir, are you alright? You have taken to fierce a blow to the head, have you? That thing just attacked you, and killed one of our companions."

"My **Saber** , moody thing that he is, did not use lethal force until fired upon. I'll admit, I came on a bit rudely to my newly summoned partner, but as he said he only planned to test me. Hugo's death is tragic, but you all remained calmed and seen that I was still alive myself, this entire debacle could have been kept from escalating."

The mood of the room changed quite a bit upon him saying this, a few looking to agree with his assessment, but many looking rather angry by how ungrateful he sounded.

"Are you saying it's our fault?"

"You all desired a Saber, same as I, but you greet this proud warrior with naked sorcery and an attitude of mages, not men or soldiers. Perhaps if you saw Servants as beings rather than just tools, they'd be more loyal to your representatives, and the Association would have already won one of these Holy Grail Wars previously."

Escorted out of the room by the mage nursing him and his children, Aramis was not present to hear his three apprentices, the mages he had trained with, speaking in regards to his attitude.

"It is as Lord Baptiste said; the man prides his blade more than his magecraft. He's too much like the brutish commoners."

"Keep quiet, Isabelle. Fool that he is, he still inspires loyalty in many for those very traits. If you are to speak of this, then do so in a room more secure."

Frowning, but keeping silent in agreement, Isabelle helped the others raise Hugo's body from the ground. Denis, who had spoken before, took aside the last apprentice Victor and whispered to him.

"I do wish that Lord Baptiste would give us the order to strike at him already. Continuing to serve under that man is going to start unsettling my stomach."

"Patience, Denis. The man is still loyal to the Association. If and when he makes the mistake of acting against his wishes, we can do as we like in restraining him."

"Only restraining him, Victor?"

"Well, the Holy Grail War is notorious for its high Masters Mortality rates. If a rogue mage were to take things too seriously, say the Tohsaka brat, well…"

A devilish grin formed on Denis' face.

"Solving two problems in one move. Lordship would be ours for doing such a service for the Association."

"What of the Grail War, though? The Root is still sought after."

"Worry not. Lord Baptiste is in the middle of developing a technique, one that can prolong the Grail War if a…substitute is needed for Lord Aramis."

Looking around to be sure no unwanted ears overheard their conversation; the two mages joined their cohort in moving their dead companion's body out of the room through a levitating spell. All the while, a still invisible Saber leans against the wall, having never left the room.

"Betrayal being plotted this early in the conflict. It seems my luck is unchanged in this world."

* * *

FRR: Let us know what you think so far with a review, if you so feel the need.


	4. Chapter 0-4

Disclaimer: We do not own Type-moon, Naruto or Boruto. In the case of Naruto, we would sure as hell have given Rock Lee more fights, and ones that he'd actually win. But alas, we are but mouthy fans.

 **Vanitas: I was praying for the end of Nero Fest, since I was so busy. I was stressed about getting all the mats I need. Now I'm free and there's no events. Fate/ Grand Order plays with my emotions...wake me up when it's Moon Goddess Festival.**

 _Forsaken: So I gotta wake you up tommorow?_

 **Vanitas: Oh shit, it's tomorrow**

 _Forsaken: No_

 **Vanitas: FUCK!**

FRR:…

Ch.0-4: Those who Break the Rules are Scum, but those who Abandon their Friends…

* * *

/The Manager's office of an abandoned Kabuki Theater, 9 p.m. (Monday, Week 1)

 _I wonder what she will be like?_

Deep within his hideout, inside his private quarters, Iwasaki Nitou daydreamed to himself.

"Souji Okita"

He spoke aloud, as he created his own ideal Servant within in his mind.

Okita Sōji, was the captain of the first unit of the Shinsengumi, a special police force in Kyoto during the late shogunate period and he was considered to be one of the best swordsmen of the time. Nitou, being a descendant from a long line of samurais, had idolized Okita since he was a little child, learning as much of this historical figure as he could. Though his research he found out an interesting fact about his hero; almost all historical evidence states that Okita Soji was a male, however Nitou in the middle of his teenage years found some rare documents that revealed that Okita was actually a woman*.

Through this revelation Nitou began to become infatuated with Okita, and once he found out about the Holy Grail War was determined to make her his Servant. However in order get her as his Servant he would need to get a catalyst in order to summon her. Unfortunately, Nitou was unable to find any relics that belonged to Nitou….however, he had an idea of what he could do in order to get what he desired.

A hulking figure entered the room in which Nitou was sitting in, knelt down before him and spoke.

"We got what you needed boss."

"Excellent", Nitou replied, "Bring them in".

With that, the man left momentarily, returning with two people who had their faces covered. The man removes the garments covering their faces revealing a young man and woman.

The young man screamed, scared and confused by the situation they were in.

"Where are we?!"

The young lady with him, though equally scared and confused, remained quiet and tried to make out where exactly they were. Nitou, with his katana sheathed in his hand, began walking down to the middle of the room to where the couple was located.

"I apologize for the surprise, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Iwasaki Nitou".

The young man hesitantly replies to him.

"Wh-what do you plan on doing to us…..if its money you want, you can have it. Just let us go!"

Nitou began to slowly walk up to the tied up man, while moving his hand onto the hilt of his sheathed sword.

"Oh it is not your money that I need"

With one quick slashing movement, he sliced through the young man's neck. The young man's now lifeless body plummets to the ground, as his blood begins to fill in the strange etchings that are inscribed onto the floor. The young woman looked at Nitou with sheer anger and rage.

"Why…..Why are you doing this?"

Nitou looks down upon the girl, not at all disturbed by what he had just done. Nor gleeful, it was like he had just peeled an orange or wiped a stain off a surface.

"Great leaders have to be willing to make sacrifices, even of their own people, in order to have their country as a whole prosper."

The girl was taken back with disbelief at what Nitou was saying. But she quickly regained her rage, and barked at him with all her previously suppressed fury.

"You're not a leader! You're some delusional murder!"

"Agreed, for now I'm not a true leader,"

He walked around her, observing her like some predatory bird and taking note of her reactions to him. He knew why she was angry, but for some strange reason he felt like he had to properly take in just how she was reacting to him. All the while, he continued speaking.

"-but soon, I will have enough power to restore this county to its former glory. And the death of your lover will not even be thought of past this next moment."

Looking down at the etchings on the floor, Nitou realized that it was not full yet.

"Well, it seems more sacrifices are needed."

Looking into the girl's eyes, Nitou raises his sword without a hint of remorse or hesitation.

"Now, before you die, know that your death restored this country to its former glory."

And with another quick slash, he severed the girl's head from her body. As her body fell to the ground, the etchings began to fill up and within a few moments became full, revealing a circle with multiple symbols within it. Nitou, unfazed over the lives he just took, begins to finish his preparations needed for his ritual.

"Now then, let's start the ritual."

Nitou then returned to his throne that he was sitting on moments before. Locking his gaze upon the symbol on the floor, he lifted up his right hand and began to chant.

"Noble Woman, as beautiful as Sakura trees,

A genius fighter of your era,

And ever Loyal to your allies.

Bind yourself to me, and be my bride!

For this nation has need of a strong leader!

Be my eye as I remake this country,

For I will be like lightning, and strike down with blinding speeds!

Though if the queen I long for is kept from me,

And some base harlot stands in her place,

She shall be bound by this door to the present,

Unable to raise a blade or hand to me!"

With that the symbol on the floor emitted a blinding light, radiating through the room and blinding Nitou. Once the light died down, and Nitou eyes began to adjust, he notices a woman has appeared within the center of the circle. The woman appears to be an adult within her late twenties, and despite appearing very young she strangely had long white hair, and stranger yet her left eye was covered by her headband, which bore a strange symbol on it.

This woman did not look anything like what Nitou believed Okita would look like, nor did she match the description of anyone who was a part of the Shinsengumi. Nitou began to walk up to the strange women and asking immediately,

"Are you my Servant?"

The strange woman looks at him with a carefree expression, seemingly only slightly puzzled by her current location. Still, she replies to his question.

"I believe so; and I take it you are my Master?"

"Who are you?"

Still in an incredibly relaxed manner, the woman replies

"I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but it feels like my class is that of Assassin. If you're also inquiring to my true name, it would be Hatake Kakashi."

Cursing the gods, Nitou gripped his katana fiercely as he voiced his disapproval.

"You are not the Servant I was intending to summon."

"Well, unfortunately we seem to be stuck together; it was most likely due to whatever you used as a catalyst."

It was at this moment that Assassin began to look around the room and noticed the corpses of Nitou's victims, and that her Master was covered in their blood. She was completely taken by surprise and quickly made clear her disgust.

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Well, those are the catalysts for your summoning."

He said this with a smirk, appearing to enjoy his Servant's dismay.

"You're probably right; the woman of my dreams would require much more than two lowly peasants to summon her. No wonder I'm saddled with a simple Assassin."

Without hesitation, Kakashi dashes towards her Master with a kunai in her hand. However once she reaches the end of the summoning circle, she stops, unable to move past it.

"I can't move! What ninjutsu is this?!"

She screamed this out as she disengaged from her charge, retreating back to the center of the circle.

Flashing a menacing grin, Nitou taunted her.

"My my, it seems I quite a defiant Servant."

Pacing around the circle, he waved his sword over the symbols on the ground, which passed through with no difficulty. Assassin flung her kunai with amazing speed, so much so that electricity seemed to course through it as it flew. The kunai struck some invisible wall along the edge of the summoning circle, and bounced back, never reach the target of Nitou's neck. The man mockingly rubbed his throat as he continued.

"It was a good thing I added that extra verse to your summoning. I would certainly have been killed if not for it. However, now that that trust is broken, and we have gotten to know each other a little bit, your loyalty to me needs to be discussed."

"You see, although I was hoping to summon Okita Sōji as my Servant, I understood very well that without a proper catalyst there would be a chance I could not summon her. I was also aware that there was a chance I would summon a Servant to would not willingly submit to my demands, objecting to minor things like the deaths of a few non-entities of no real value, and other misplaced noble sentiments. Summoning someone who would not be willing to do what must be done, though in your case I must say of it is quite ironic to have an Assassin patronize me about killing"

At this point Nitou is talking more to himself than at Assassin, and he with that last point made he chuckles to himself.

Annoyed with her Master's tone, Assassin retorted back.

"If you think one of your Command Spells will be enough to make me submit to you, I hate to tell you but that won't work."

Responding in an unconcerned manner, Nitou waved a hand dismissively as he answered Assassin.

"Oh no, I won't be needing command seals. Not for something as minor as taming you."

Suddenly the circle Kakashi is in begins to create a strange purplish hue.

"Now then…let's begin with the second part of the summoning"

Nitou says while grinning menacingly.

"Let my affliction wash over her,

and have her be stained with the same curse as I!

Flood her with the world's hate,

So that she in turn can detest the state of this land!

Twist her morals, bend her codes

Before me let his Servant be Altered!"

A shadow seemed to leave Nitou, and rushed into the summoning circle. Assassin tried to jump out of its way as it flowed underneath her, but it reached out and snagged her legs, pulling her back down to the ground and binding her further. The shadow then became more solid, rather liquid-like in nature, if not more like akin to mud. It engulfed her, smothering the Servant entirely like a violent cocoon or sarcophagus.

Then suddenly, just as quickly as it had swarmed her, the liquid-like mud dispersed like a hive of frightened insects. Some of the shadow returned to Nitou, re-attaching with his shadow like stitched on clothes, while the rest spread out under the walls to parts unknown.

And there stood Assassin, her white tinted black and red at various tips, and her green flak jacket also baring the black widow like colors of red and black. Her black undershirt and pants were now bleached white. But most strikingly, her skin had black veins crawling up her face and hands.

Three thugs came waltzing into the office, one of them wearing rubber gloves and holding them up proudly as he entered.

"I see you succeeded in summoning that Servant thing you've been going on about, Boss. So you okay with us tossing out of these chumps here, or you need them for any other rituals?"

Turning to face the new entries, Assassin appeared to have changed her attitude. Giving a warm look through her veiled mask, she points at the couple's corpses.

"You are Master's comrades?"

This got the thugs to laugh rudely.

"Comrades? Yeah sure, we're really tight with the Boss here. He just came in a few years back and took over the place, taking the heads of the old bosses."

"I see. And you're in charge of disposing of bodies such as these?"

"Normally I'd have some fresh blood handle it, but the Boss let them go out and party tonight. Why, you want to handle it?"

Nitou moved to step between the two, despite the fact that the summoning circle still had Assassin bound within it.

"You'll get rid of them yourself, Naoki! Leave me giving orders to my Servant to me, I haven't finished asserting-"

"It's perfectly fine, Master. Allow me to assist."

Forming rapid symbols with her hands, Assassin then planted both her hands on the ground, forming her own small summoning circle beneath them. Outside of the circle binding her, a pack of vicious looking hounds appeared, turning in the direction of the couple's bodies and pouncing. The disgusting display of the hell hounds feasting on their flesh turned the thugs' stomachs, though Nitou was mostly just annoyed that Assassin could breach his summoning circle in some manner.

"Fine, so you've cleared up that mess. Now back to the matter of your loyalty…"

Once they had finished feasting on the couple and reduced even their bones to charred ash, the hounds turned towards Nitou and lunged. Quick to draw, the man cut down one of the dogs and struck at another, though this one had a kunai in its mouth and countered his strike like a swordsman would. As the others rushed him down, Nitou pulled out a paper seal with writing on it and muttered a small spell.

Just as the fangs of one of the dogs were about to close on his throat, one of the thugs appeared in Nitou's place, with the man himself being shoved back a few feet by his subordinates sudden appearance. The thug was shocked by his sudden teleportation, but didn't have much time to dwell on the matter with the hound sinking its teeth into him. With a quick snap the man was killed, and the confused but satisfied demon dog feasted on him instead.

Assassin stared coldly at her Master, pointing at the paper seal in his hand as he dodged and countered the remaining dogs' assaults.

"With that, you use your own men as your shields, do you?"

"What of it?"

Tilting her head slightly, as if observing Nitou like a strange wild specimen, Assassin gave a cold and detached analysis of his actions.

"It would appear that that man did not know about the substitution jutsu, or rather the castling spell you've placed on him. Should I take it then that many if not all of your men share this hex without their knowledge?"

"Maybe they do, of what concern is it to you, _Servant_?"

"I am merely taking note of the quality of person that would dare to call themselves my Master. A man of the lowest order, truly."

Planting his sword in the skull of one of the dogs, Nitou paused his counter offensive to face Assassin directly, staring dismissively into her eye as he replied.

"Who are you to pass judgement on me?! I am a man descended from samurai, and the one who will restore Japan from its whipped dog status that we have carried for far too long. While you were such a deplorable, underhanded mercenary that the Grail saw fit to bring you forth in the Assassin class. So what if I, the ruler, use my men without their knowledge? To be of some use to one's betters is more than these cutthroats could hope to deserve."

The two other thugs heard this remark, obviously, and were not too pleased by it. Naturally, as one would expect.

"The fuck, man?! You enchanted us with some dark magic shit to take hits for you?! Is that what happened to Yori last week when he didn't come back with you?!"

Not waiting for an answer, the two of them drew their handguns on their boss. Before either one of them could fire though, Nitou chanted another quiet spell, and their hand holding their guns petrified and turned to glass. Losing feeling in these arms, they slumped to their sides, with the guns turned to glass as well and stuck with their hands.

Nitou looked to move to finish them, but the demonic dogs changed their focus from him to his former subordinates, jumping upon them and ripping them to pieces.

This obviously confused Nitou, who turned to face Assassin again. She was kneeling before him within the summoning circle, and with a wave of her arm the demonic dogs disappeared. Curious as to why she took these actions, Nitou paced around her like he had the woman he murdered, questioning her as he did.

"What caused this sudden burst of loyalty? I haven't even begun to place similar seals on you, so why the concern with my well-being?"

"Who says that I am? I still find you to be a despicable stain on the earth."

"Oh?"

"However, what you did to me…it's given me a new perspective. I'm not too different from you."

"Is that so? And what does an Assassin and I have in common?"

"We are both scum. Slaying those that would be our friends, or comrades. You break the rules of society and use those who serve you like their nothing. While I have plunged my blade through the chest of someone I considered a friend."

"Again you judge me with your misplaced morality. And I care little for it now as I did moments ago. So what if you think of yourself now alongside me, now that my _affliction_ has touched you. How is that a guarantee of your loyalty?"

Standing so as to look directly into Nitou's eyes, Assassin answered without a hint of emotion.

"Because your world means nothing to me. And since the new commands in my head, the same ones that ring in your head as well, are calling for misery and destruction, I'm curious to see how you'll go about scaring you world."

Actually disturbed by her reasoning, Nitou took a step back, though he didn't let fear or his discomfort show on his face.

"What nonsense are you spewing? I don't aim to destroy this world, just restore Japan to glory."

"Master, _please_. You kill the innocent and treat it like nothing, and sacrifice your men for your own safety. There's nothing of value to you, so you can add value to nothing. How glorious could this Japan of yours become, if you as its leader care for no one within it?"

Drawing his blade and bringing it to Assassin's throat, Nitou nearly spat out his answer due to his growing anger.

"There is **one** person I care for, and you got in the way of me joining with her!"

"Is that what you'll wish for? To be with this Okita Sōji?"

Stepping back and controlling his anger, Nitou sheathed his katana and turned away from her.

"I was going to wish for my new Japan. I didn't want to have to trust my wish for her to the Grail."

Giving a mocking bow, Assassin continued to taunt him.

"Master, either you make the wish or you don't. The end is the same to me. But truly, are you satisfied with just sulking and entering this Grail war conflicted as to your end goal?"

Having had enough of her jabs, Nitou took out a new paper seal and tossed it back at her, landing over her free eye and forming a purple magic circle in front of it. Muttering one final chant, Nitou stretched out an arm and poured more mana into the spell.

Assassin' head arched back as the spell took hold. When it subsided, the seal fell off and the summoning circle finally powered down. Kneeling before Nitou, Assassin's new attitude was unchanged, but her tongue was more subdued.

"So long as you would fight in this war, I your Servant will see your will achieved. However the end of it may come."

"And I, your Master, will use you until my dream is made reality. Now go, the other Masters will have surely summoned their own Servants by now. Scout the city, and report back with whatever intel on our enemies you uncover."

Nodding, Assassin leaped to the wall and opened the window on it, before slipping out and climbing up above to the roof. Nitou could briefly hear her footsteps rapidly make its way across its surface, before hearing her leap from it. Sighing remorsefully, the man retired to his throne, nursing his brow as he tried to push aside his disappointment and focus on the results.

 _Hatake Kakashi. Why is that not a familiar name to me? I have studied history more than some people have taken in air, but there's no historic figure or legendary warrior by that name. And yet I feel I've heard it somewhere before._

* * *

FRR: Had to go over the details of this chapter, hence the wait between this one and the last. The next one is already prepared and ready to go.


	5. Chapter 0-5

Tendou

Disclaimer: We do not own the rights to Type-moon's intellectual property, nor the "Tales of" Series. Otherwise Oscar would have never looked that good in the Zestiria the X anime.

 **Vanitas: This'll be refreshing. 'Arts' that aren't blue cards from Fate Grand/Order**

Ch. 0-5: Magikazam!

* * *

/South District of Seihai City, 7:30 p.m. (Monday, Week 1)

"Young man, if you don't release your grip from my packet of drumsticks I will drown your face in mace!"

"Step off, hag! You have 4 packets already, I only need the one! Look, they're all bloody and this one even has a feather still on it! Leave it with me, damn it!"

"I'm having family over, you insolent welp! Not that it's any of your business! Get your hands off of my chicken legs!"

Firing off a kick to the young man's groin, the lady followed through on her threat and pulled out her can of mace, spraying her victim in the face to ensure her victory. Letting of the packet of chicken legs to grab at his face, Tendou was unable to keep the older woman from running off with his prize.

 _That miserable little crow of a woman! What is she feeding, a damn pack of wolves?! It was just one packet, would they have starved?! Damn her, god damn her!_

It took a while for him to recover, though with the help of the supermarket's butcher he washed his face in their bathroom sink. Looking at himself in the mirror, the bespectacled Matou heir sighed to himself.

 _What are you doing, Tendou? The Holy Grail War is a fool's errand. The winner of the last 2 didn't even seriously wish for anything, they just had their Saber destroy it, with varying degrees of success. Why does Grandfather waste his time trying to make a grab for the-_

"That had best not be the sound of quitter I hear, _grandson_."

Tendou froze up like a deer in headlights. There was no way he could be here…was there?

"…Grandfather?"

There was no response, and looking around he found that he was indeed alone in the bathroom. Sighing, he splashed his face one more time with tap water before moving to leave.

 _I'm letting that old man get to me. Just participate, win the Grail, and you'll never have to see that walking corpse again. Damn it, why does cousin Eiji have it so easy? He doesn't even have to compete, and yet I hear that he's here in the city anyway!_

As the young man left, the mirror he was infront of began to shimmer, and out came the head of Zouken Matou, looking in his "Great-Grandson's" direction and smirking.

"If the boy is so truly against participating, I can just force his mother to compete again. If he's any sort of man, he would be happy to take his mother's place in such a _dangerous_ venture."

Begging the store's butcher to give him something, any leftover or soon to be thrown out scrap of meat he could offer, Tendou managed to walk away with a partially eaten mutton chop. The butcher swore that it was probably just a dog that nibbled on it before being shooed away, but from the bit marks Tendou got the distinct impression that it was a rat. No, several rats had feasted on this poor excuse of meat.

Making his way ever so cautiously back to his rented room, at what was considered the second-worst motel in the area, Tendou flung open his door and dashed inside, locking it behind him with all available speed.

 _Please god if you're there, don't let it be that the owner saw me. I'm a week late on pay, but if I could just summon this damn Servant in time and can clear out and pay him back later._

Taking out the various ingredients he had bought and lining them up, he mentally went over his preparations as he pointed at each item to check them off his list.

 _This should do it. It's not ideal, but I should be able to make a satisfactory summoning circle with this. At least I managed to get a hold of some silver._

As quietly as he could, he moved the room's bed so that it lined up against the right side wall, opening more space in the room for him to lay out his summoning circle. Doing so, while sweeping away all the nasty dust left exposed from the moved bed and shooing away the smaller rats that came out (big ones weren't worth the risk), Tendou managed to complete it in a relatively short time.

Pulling out a stand one uses to read their music notes off of, the young man then placed a hefty spell book on it, and then raised up his hand while chanting from a page marked heavily with notes.

"Oh Master of the Craft, to whom my skills Pale,

Come Forth and Assist me in my Tale!

Beyond Selfish Good and Short-Sighted Evil,

Lend your Power to help me Rebel!

Whether we be Outlaws or Future Saints

Bow to no one and show no Restraint!

There's a war to be won, so heed my Call!

Agree to this contract, and be my Thra-"

Before he could finish the last word, bullets came flying through his wall, striking the book and hitting the lamp and various vases on top of desks and shelves. Ducking down and rolling under his bed, Tendou cursed his infernal luck.

 _God damn it, why do these fucking norms have to have a little shootout right now?! And in a motel, really? Don't you punks settle your shit in alleyways or each other's' clubs and other gangster nonsense?!_

The firing stopped, and while it wasn't clear Tendou could make out a bit of the conversation happening in his neighbors room, something about not needing to share the cut 3 ways and possible infidelity. He didn't care, but it sounded like maybe there would be no further shooting, at least from that end.

Moving to get out from under his bed (which was pre-occupied by an interrupted rat couple), Tendou saw that the room was being engulfed by blue flames, firing out of the damaged book that was hit moments ago.

"Oh gods damn it!"

Rolling out quickly and grabbing his bed sheets, the young man tried to snuff out the flames by beating them down, only to catch his sheets on fire as well.

"Why does this shit keep happening to me?! I'm sure Eiji doesn't have to deal with this garbage, great freaking prodigy that he is! No no, Tendou has to be the one to have his room set on fire, Tendou has to be the fool to stuck in the crime-ridden part of the city, Tendou-"

"Tendou has to get all worked up and refer to himself in the third person."

Startled by the new voice, the agitated young man looked over his shoulder to see a young woman standing there.

With an impish expression on her face, she cupped her hands in front of her mouth like she was trying to hush what she was about to say, though made no real effort to quiet down.

"Oh, are we not complaining anymore? Or is that just a weird solo thing you do?"

"Who…are you?"

"What? You mean you've forgotten already?"

The young woman dropped down and cradled herself, becoming suddenly very miserable and sniffling.

"After you go and summon me to this place, and you don't even have the decency to remember why."

Tendou was taken aback by her sudden mood swing, throwing his bed sheets aside and completely forgetting about the fire around them as he tried to comfort the girl.

"Sorry, I'm so sorry. Obviously you're my Servant. I'm sorry about our current surroundings, but do to unfortunate circumstances I had to-"

"Servant? Is that what the kids call their girlfriends these days? Or just the folks in this world?"

The girl rocketed back up, her facing returning to its previously impish grin like nothing had happened, and she stretched her arms out behind her head as she swayed back on forth on both legs.

"I mean what other reason does a guy have to bring a girl to a seedy little spot like this, if he doesn't intend to bed? And to use magic for such purpose, I'm shocked. Shocked, I say. And to be reduced in title to something as demeaning as a 'servant'."

Her mood swing caught Tendou off guard again, but this time he was much more annoyed by it.

"Huh, what? No no, you're my Servant. You know, a Heroic Spirit contracted to fight alongside me? Who would want to bed you?!"

Turning away so he couldn't see her face, she dropped her smile for a moment, before it returned with a vengeance as she replied.

"Oh? Me, a Heroic Spirit? Clearly you haven't heard of me before. And furthermore, you want a girl to do your battling for you? Just want kind of man are you? First you summon innocent little old me to satisfy your beastly appetite, then you plan to toss me to the wolves and sing tales of my heroic demise? Truly, this world is a cruel stage, but I Magilou, am no green horn to adversity. I accept your challenge boy!"

Having had just about enough of the day's nonsense, whatever patience Tendou had left just died.

"Now listen here, wench! I know not who you are, but let's get some things straight. I am you Master, not 'boy' or 'beast', and I did not summon you to fuck you. You're here to fight in the Holy Grail War, which you should clearly know about as the Throne of Heroes sent you and gives all Servants the information they need prior to summoning. Enough of this nonsense, state your class and true name, before I get truly tired of you!"

Feigning shock and a hurt expression, Magilou put on a display of that would fit a child's attempt at acting innocent, after just being caught knocking over a vase to grab a cookie jar.

"I've been forcibly summoned all this way, and how this Master of mine claims me to be unattractive, and lets his room burn around him. Not only that, but I'm meant to die for him in some war I have no say in. Have I any complaints with the other forces, could I not form friendships with those rogues or achieve loves that defy decency? Alas, it seems not to be, for Master has no patience you see. Had I known that I'd be insulted and abused in such a way, on this Throne of Heroes surely would I stay."

"…just who are you, woman."

As if on cue, whimsical music like that found in some fairy's play started playing out of nowhere, and Magilou started posing in various stances as she answered.

"Hooray, you asked! I'm thrilled to introduce to you, the wise sorceress who travels the eleven seas, who scoffs at the might of dragons…"

Tendou cupped his head and sighed, not believing the way this day had turned out.

"-None other than the acclaimed, the illustrious Mazhigigika Miludin do Din Nolurun Dou! Magilou for short."

Giving the young woman a proper look over now, Tendou came to realize he had summoned quite the oddball of a Servant. She had on a pink and blue leotard, in a playing card like style which was rather mix-matched in design. Detached sleeves of either color covered her arms, and leggings matched the sleeves color choice, while having straps that connected to her leotard's belt. Most strikingly, her belt had a "skirt" made up of various large tomes, though while Tendou stared at it he found himself lingering on her waist, and pulled his gaze away before he felt she would catch him. Finally, this woman had on something close to those stereotypical witches' hats norms think female spell casters wore, though hers had two spire tops and one was longer than the other and bent. And her hair was rather long and blonde, and strikingly well kept…

"…Magilou, is it?"

"Yes indeed, rude boy. And if I'm to restrict myself to the funny little rules that Throne of yours has, I would be of the Caster class. Though truly, had there been a Thespian class I alone would warrant the position."

Suddenly the door to their room was kicked open, and two rough looking fellows came in, the one in front pointing his gun at Tendou.

"What's all the noise for?! You two been listening in on us?"

Tendou raised up his arms in fright, though his tongue would follow what the rest of his brains was suggesting.

"What the hell is with you?!"

"What did you just say to me, you little shit?"

Regretting his choice to blurt that out, Tendou frantically scoured his brain for a response that may deescalate the situation. Unfortunately for him…

"I believe my Master is wondering whether or not you're intolerable because your mother beat you as a child, or if you're just naturally a boar of a man. Personally I'm betting you're just a boar."

Caster spoke up before he could.

"Little lady, if you knew who you were dealing with you'd watch your tongue!"

 _Caster, what in the frigid hell are you doing?! It's one thing for me to slip and run my mouth, but you're deliberately making things worse!_

Looking back at him as if she could read his thoughts, Caster gave another one of her impish grins before returning her gaze to the two thugs barring the doorway. Pointing a finger at the two, she continued speaking.

"Lady? Silly man, you're addressing a witch, a no good spell-weaver, why the Mistress of all Evil herself! So it would be you who need mind their tongue, lest they find it turned to a Pengyon."

The men in the room went quiet, mentally agreeing that this woman had to be loose a few marbles. They were then snapped out of their daze by the sound of fire sirens, as the room was still on fire and the motel owner must have called some over that. Or the shooting from earlier, at the very least. The thug who'd remained quiet this whole time stepped forward, his rifle lifted to come directly in front of Caster's head.

"We ain't got time to waste on this broad. Nighty night, crazy lady."

Leaning back just before the man pulled the trigger, Caster limboed out of danger and popped up right in front of the man, giving him a playful push out. Being that she was a Servant, the man went hurtling outside and got knocked off the railing, landing on a car in the parking lot below.

Looking down at her hands, Caster was amazed by how much force she was physically capable of using.

"Whoa ho, I'm even more magnificent here than I could of thought. All that power and not a bit of my petite form changed. I bet I could even out muscle Eizen like this. Not that I'd care for such a macho display, that's more Rokurou's thing."

Surprised by what had happened to his partner, but quick to react, the remaining thug swung at her with his gun hand, but she weaved and dodged his blows before jump backwards to the railing and landing on. Grinning at the man, she gave a little twirl around and upon facing him again launched and orb of water.

"Aqua Split!"

The orb struck the man and knocked him into the back of Tendou's room, splitting as they struck the wall and splashing all over the remained of the room. A lot of the fire was put out by this, though some shelves remained torched. The thug was looking rather sickly after the impact, and Tendou noticed a purplish haze around him.

"My god."

"I know, I dazzle the mind. Honestly, it's a burden being this good."

Knowing that he's basically lost the room, and not wanting to risk that the thug was still conscious or healthy enough to still shoot him, Tendou grabbed his rucksack filled with essentials and rushed out of the room, grabbing Caster's hand and running with her towards the south exit of the Motel.

"My oh my, are we eloping so soon?"

"Will you be quiet, you banshee? It's stressful enough knowing I just wasted a third of my funds on this place, and it's on fire, but I don't need your tasteless jokes to pollute the air as we run!"

"Honestly boy, we're going to need to do something about that temper of yours."

"I said be qu-"

Caster waved her free hand, and as they ran Tendou found a ring of light circle his neck, before rushing towards it and clutching tightly. He stopped and dropped to his knees, clutching at the physical light chocking him in desperation. Thankfully, its grip lessened, though as he let go of it in relief, he found that he felt something now resting firming around his neck. Feeling at it with a hand, the light now felt like material, and as he moved his hand around it he felt a lock on the front of the necklace. No, rather it was more like a chocker.

"Caster, what is the meaning of this?! What the hell do you think you'r-"

A light buzz came from the chocker, and Tendou's little rant was cut short by a slightly electrical shock. Caster stood over him waving a finger, acting like a saddened discipliner.

"Ah ah ah, temper temper. Is that any way to speak to a woman, let alone your partner? You said to lend you my power and show no restraint. Continue to treat me like some tool you can toss side and no restraint is exactly what you'll have coming. So behave, and do try to act gentlemanly."

Looking up at the strangely dressed Servant, Tendou tried thinking up some _polite_ way of voicing his extreme disapproval of this situation, but before he could speak…

 **~ You up there! Stay where you are, you're coming in for questioning!** ~

A firefighter holding up a megaphone was calling up to them. Magilou turned around to see them, and waved cheekily with her eyes closed. Tendou started to get up and grabbed onto her shoulders.

"No don't wave to them! Go into spirit form, turn invisible already. We can't have people seeing you!"

Looking at the frazzled young man, Caster's face seemed to blush, and she turned her face away from his while bringing a hand up in front her mouth, appearing so bashful.

"Master, are you so ashamed of me already? You change your mind so quickly, first wanting to run off with me but then telling me to hide because you don't wish to be seen with me? Oh my poor maiden heart…"

Growing ever so tired of Caster's games, Tendou tried to steady himself while his temper rose.

"I am not ashamed of you, there are just rules. Magic cannot be witnessed by normal people, it's the rules of my society. You are a magical being, so normal people should gaze upon you…magnificence."

Dropping the bashful maiden act and perking up at the compliment, Magilou forcefully hugged Tendou and swung him around, all the while firemen were coming up around them on both ends of the staircases.

"Oh Master, you charmer; how do you always know what to say?"

"Will you shut up and turn invisible already, wen-"

Another buzz, and Tendou was convulsing in Caster's grasp, to which she dropped him like a bad bag of chips with blank annoyed expression on her face.

"Jeez kid, loosen up a little. I'm just messing with yeah. If you get this bent out of shape with your own Servant needling you, how are you going to stand under pressure with actual enemy Masters and Servants gunning for you head?"

Calming down a bit and agreeing with the truth in her words, Tendou rubbed his neck as he saw the firemen drawing closer.

"…you have a point. But must you be so non-stop with your lessons?"

"I don't have to. But I like it more that way."

Glaring at her but keeping his language civil, Tendou addressed the next thing on his mind.

"Before when I was talking about the roles of Master and Servant, you acted like you didn't know about it, but just now you spoke with authority as if your familiar with the system. Was you're ignorance before an act too?"

"Nah, I honestly had no idea what was going on. It's coming to me slowly now, but you were coming on pretty hard for a guy your age."

More innuendo, and the firemen were within grabbing range.

"Can you please just turn invisible so we can make our escape, Caster?"

"Oh don't get your glasses in a bunch, there's no need for that."

Slipping out a ritual paper, she tossed it into the air over the railing. It expanded to the size of a fat surfboard, and grabbing Tendou's hand Caster tugged him with her onto the enlarged sheet. The firemen were aghast at the sight, and Tendou was freaking out and clutching to Caster's leg, who just looked down teasingly at him.

"No, absolutely not! I don't do heights!"

"I don't know, you look kind happy, clutching a girl's leg like that."

He opened his mouth to voice more venom, but quickly considered his situation I knew it better not to risk getting shocked so high of the ground.

Caster turned around (Tendou still clutched to her leg) to face the firefighters, waving enthusiastically like a sailor leaving on a boat.

"Sorry about the blaze, it's my Master's first time. I'm certain he won't leave such a mess the next time he tries, but we got interrupted by some unruly fellows over there. Really, this place should ensure better privacy safeguards for its customers."

 _Oh you are deliberately wording it weirdly to make me look like a freak!_

Caster looked down at him so as to suggest ' _So what if I am_ ', her impish smile ever present. Giving one final wave and a theatrical bow to the still shocked firemen, Caster turned around and pointed towards the sky. The ritual paper rocketed off, to whatever next hideout Tendou Matou was forced to secure.

 _Why me, why me, why me?!_

* * *

FRR: Because you're a "Matou", and I'm a cruel overlord. Mwa ha ha ha!


	6. Chapter 0-6

Disclaimer: We do not own Type-moon, and never in a million years could we even dream of having a fraction of the power to own Star Wars. That is firmly in Disney's hands, and they are far too powerful…

Ch. 0-6: Not so long ago, Traveling from Far, far away…

* * *

/Some Abandoned Old Junkyard, 5:12 p.m. (Monday, Week 1)

Now Johnny Cid R was a patient man, it's how his momma raised him. You don't get to where you're going by being hasty, you just get kicked off the bus, she used to say. Hell, Johnny knows that rushing anything can lead to fucking it up royally, though his momma would have whipped his tongue for phrasing it that way. So Johnny Cid could be said to be a patient man, surely.

However, the waiting was the worst part of any assignment. Not only was he not being paid by the hour for the task, but his contact Vincent had messed up on the details of a previous hit, so it was possible that the targets weren't even going to be arriving at this location.

Had that been the case, Johnny Cid would strongly consider that hit put out on Vincent himself by a disgraced mage, as this would be the third time the man had given him an assignment with little to no intel on the matter.

As for why this man is referred to as Johnny Cid, and not just Johnny, well that's a tale for a different time. But let's just say that the lad stumbled upon some high-level magic no other mage thought we be found in old Arizona, after many a hard trial and with some serious competition. And upon seizing such a prize, instead of using it for riches, women, or an easy life, he just put a hex on the world. Whenever anyone refers to the man, even this humble narrator, he is to be called Johnny Cid in full. No need to say his last name, as that's a private matter. But he ain'tno Johnny, John, John-boy or Cid. It's Johnny Cid, or nothing. That's the way it is.

The assassination mage was sitting within the area of a haze spell he had casted, leaning back against a tree and surveying the area before him with binoculars. An abandoned warehouse lay before him, the supposed destination of the targets the Mages' Association wants him to eliminate. He was on a hill nearby, with the haze being an obscuring spell to conceal his presence, should anyone actually come by.

Despite his previously established reliability, all the American mage had been told was that a group of rogue Mages' Association mages were gathering to perform a forbidden ritual. Vincent neglected to say what the ritual was, what to expect from it if they succeed and what to prepare for, only mentioning that about 15 mages are the targets, and that they're fairly skilled combat magic users.

Being rewarded for his patience, Johnny Cid saw 3 vans pull up, with the 15 targets spilling out, 5 per van. They were dressed in casual clothes, so as not to seem too suspicious at first sight. Despite, you know, coming out of several vans.

Looks like Vincent is safe from my wrath…for now.

Moving down the hill, closer to the warehouse, Johnny Cid made sure to duck between various bushes and hedges so as to keep out of the mages' sight. Keeping an eye on them as he continued downwards, Johnny Cid saw 3 members of the group stay outside to guard the warehouse's doors, while the rest grabbed various items from the van and proceeded indoors.

It would have helped if anyone bothered to tell me what they were up to. For all I know they're planning to nuke the surrounding area, and I'm on some kind of time limit of how late I can interrupt them before it's too late.

Taking out a coin and flipping it, he sighed as it landed heads.

Whelp, guess that's mean I'm going in loud.

Whipping out his custom Beretta 92, Johnny Cid attached a silencer to its nozzle and fired a shot at the guard in front of the door before him. The mage barely got to fire off a dark bolt of magic in Johnny's direction before the bullet found his throat, and due to this his blast went off target and flew by Johnny's head a foot away. The other two guards heard their friend crumble against the wall, and came to investigate, leaving their posts. Pulling off a tooth from the necklace around his neck, Johnny Cid murmured a quiet spell with his hand hovering over it. Suddenly junk from around the yard came flying forward,wrapping around the tooth like it was its heart before finally settling in a humanoid form.

The junk had flown past the approaching guards, and when they turned to corner to see the source of the noise, they were greeted by the sight of Johnny Cid being accompanied by 3 scrap-metal golems, each having a shimmer spell attached to them that made them appear similar to their creator. And each of them armed with an AR-15.

"Light 'em up, boys!"

Doing as they were bidden, the scrap-metal golem filled the mages full of lead. The mages inside the warehouse had certainly heard this, so Johnny Cid's element of surprise was now lost.

Not that that was of much concern to him, now that his blood was flowing.

"Knock knock lads, it's the Postman! Here to deliver your mail you yah, with a special package from the Mages' Association!"

He quickly rushed the door and kicked it open, ducking to the side behind some boxes as hexes and cursed bolts that came flying towards him. Switching weaponry to his grenade launcher, he poked his head out so as to quickly determine what targets to go for.

This initial peek let him see that the remaining 12 mages were struggling with a few stray cats, and wielding knives while doing so. Those that weren't aiming for his head, anyway. Seeing the little furballs in peril did not improve those mages' chances of coming out of this encounter alive.

"Boys, I want those fuckers in the back toasted! But make sure to avoid clipping the cats!"

Moving into the warehouse, Johnny Cid's scrap-metal golems complied and started firing at the mages in the far back. They managed to hit a few, though some of the mages had heard Johnny Cid's order and ran off before the firing started. Finding cover behind knocked over tables, the other mages launched a combined cursed bolt at one of the golems, reducing it to dust.

This seemed to cause an adverse reaction in the remaining golems, to Johnny Cid's annoyance.

"Oh don't tell me they're going to start doing that again?!"

Sure enough, as he poked his head out to spy on the mages firing on him, his golems started to mimic his actions, instead of seeking cover as they're pre-programed to seek in these combat situations. They had glitched out again, and were mirroring him completely.

Well this got a lot more complicated.

Finally firing his grenade launcher at 5 of the remaining 9 mages, it detonated and succeeded in blinding 3 of them, though the other two had managed to turn away when the grenade went off, not knowing how they had saved themselves by doing so.

Johnny Cid tried getting his golems to fire upon the blinded mages, but every time he went to switch to a different gun, they would drop their own. Not wanting to lose the advantage, he just brought out his prana-fueled flamethrower.

"Fuck it!"

Spraying in the direction of the 5 mages, he succeeded in alighting 4 of them, though the remaining mage had moved out of the way of the flames as well, and was obviously one of the two that kept their sight.

She rushed at Johnny Cid, her arm contorting and twisting until it was like a Tropical Harpy's kicking leg. Dropping his flamethrower to the side, Johnny Cid drew his Basilisk Kukri, named such for being dipped in the beast's blood during its forging.

"Oh, you want to get rough, do you?"

"Do you think you're some sort of action movie?! Shut up already!"

She made the first move, clawing and ripping at him with incredible speed, though Johnny Cid managed to keep her from seriously cutting through his throat or veins. Reaching back for his Beretta, Johnny Cid tried to push her back with both the threat of his gun and his knife work. The lady didn't seem to concerned with the addition of his peashooter.

In fact, she sweep kicked him and batted the gun from his hand as he fell. Jumping on top of him, she pressed her transformed claw of a hand against his throat. This didn't keep Johnny Cid from making light of the situation.

"If I had known you were this kinky, I'd have brought us both a beer."

Growling, the lady reached back to claw at him, but by now the golems had reset to their proper functions, and saw an enemy combatant threatening their creator. Picking up their AR-15's, they fired into the mage, knocking her off of Johnny Cid and into a weak pile of boxes. Her body broke quite a few of them as she landed in a heap, her mutated arm twisting and contorting before changing into something that mostly resembled a human arm, though feathers were still sticking out of her flesh.

Now the only targets that remained were the mages in the back, and after getting up and dusting himself off, Johnny Cid could now see what they were up to. A nearly complete circle was traced on the ground, freshly red from what looked to be animals blood. Seeing that he hadn't managed to protect all of the cats, our boy Johnny Cid was in a right horrible mood.

"Well now, I'm afraid that whatever mercy was on the table is official gone, strangers."

"Oh god, he's that idiot assassin the Association drags out when everyone else is busy. The one who talks like a fucking C-rated Western."

Indeed, Johnny Cid had a bit of a reputation among other mages. Indecent, rude, ill-bred, just goddamn annoying; various words were used to describe Momma Cid's boy in a not to pleasant light. Still, they all paid him day to day, so their complaints ain't worth a spit if they're content enough to hire his services.

Retrieving his Beretta from the ground, Johnny Cid mailed a bullet directly into the offending speaker's skull, before gifting a similar bullet to his friend besides him. The 2 remaining mages moved to the summoning circle, as if to bring forth an ally to slay Johnny Cid before he slayed them.

Not interested in having his job complicated, he fired a round into the leg of the closest escaping mage, bringing him down on his knees. Running up to him and slit his throat from behind, Johnny Cid rushed down the last mage. The older mage seemed to know that he wouldn't be able to outrun the young man, so instead he turned to face him, wielding the sacrificial knife used to kill too many innocent cats.

The fact that the old man thought this would be a suitable defense against him did not humor Johnny Cid.

"Whatever it is that those Mage Association dogs are paying you, I'll-"

"Triple, nor quadruple the amount. That's what you were going to say, wasn't it partner? Sorry, but I believe I done told you there no mercy to be found tonight from me."

Clashing blades with the younger man, the older mage was able to put up a noticeable defense, but it was merely a matter of minutes, if not seconds before his strength gave way and Johnny Cid could cut him down. Fortunately for the old cat abuser, they had fought backwards enough that they were on the edge of the ring of the summoning circle.

Having planned for this when he turned to face Johnny Cid, the older mage started chanting something old and weird, but Johnny Cid knew better than to let him finish it.

"May this humble sacrifice draw your gaze,

For the time has come for you to charge upon the land again

I, Emiliano Gustav the 3rd– "

"-am a no good, animal harming scoundrel,

who deserves nothing save a just death!

But if you're to be bound to this world,

Buddy up with me!

For I ride the wind like a majestic Owl,

And Even the Stars are a road before me!"

To cement his chants power over the elderly mage, Johnny Cid managed to overpower him and slit the man's throat, spilling his blood upon the summoning circle.

In response, there was a loud noise above, and Johnny Cid looked up to see the roof of the warehouse break and collapse, as if something invisible had fallen upon it. For he could not see what had caused the roof to start raining debris around him, but for a moment he thought he could make out some spherical disk appear out of thin air.

"Oh Lord, these mooks were bringing in space-men!"

"Who are you calling a space man?!"

Standing before him was a man that certainly wasn't there before. In fact, rather than standing he was sitting on top of some bipedal furry creature. It was like an overly fluffy kangaroo, but with a broader back and horns. For some reason, Johnny Cid felt like he had seen that beast befo-

"Hey, punk! I'm talking to you. Who you think you're calling a space-man?"

Now Johnny Cid has a horrible knack of shooting any man that talks unpleasantly to him, or at least those who don't pay well enough to warrant "forgiving". He'd gotten so used to doing it, that he'd just nonchalantly fire off in the direction of an offending mage without even looking their way.

This was to be another one of those moments, firing up at the man on the strange beast without ever taking his eyes off of it, as he tried figuring out why he knew the look of this space-beast.

Or at least, he could have sworn he had fired, but the next moment his hand was scorched from burns and his Beretta was destroyed and lying on the ground behind him. Looking up at the man, it was only now that the picture began to piece together in Johnny Cid's mind. He had definitely seen that beast before, because he had grown up watching this man since he was a wee little boy.

"By God, you're Han So-"

Another shot by the assassin mage's head, and the summoned Servant had made its mood quite clear. Getting down and both knees and bowing apologetically to the mounted Servant, Johnny Cid made it clear how sorry he was.

"Mr Solo sir, I am so very, very sorry for my attitude so far. I had thought you were some alien or demon, or demon alien thing that these here corpses were trying to summon. Had I known that you were what they were aiming for-"

"They weren't trying to summon me, kid."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, they don't even have a relic. Honestly, the work on this summoning was so poor, they could have ended up with a cursed Tiki head or something, if anything at all."

"Right…why do you know anything about summoning? I don't recall any magic, well real magic in the old films."

Nursing his head, the Servant looked as puzzled as Johnny Cid was.

"Not quite sure. I just heard these summons from within the Force, and next thing I know I'm showing up here, and there's a lot of junk being piled on into my head. Something about a 'Holy Grail War', but what that's about-"

"Holy shit, you're a Servant!"

"Excuse you?!"

"No no, not that kind of Servant! Well kinda. No wait, look-"

Pulling off his glove, Johnny Cid inspected the back of his hand, but seeing that he'd gotten the wrong one he tried with his other one. Sure enough, three red marks, in the symbol of the Galactic Rebellion's insignia, were blotched on his hand.

"You're my Servant! We're a pair that's going to fight in a Holy War! My God, I thought there wouldn't be another one in 50 years."

The Servant raised his gun again, and Johnny Cid had to wave frantically to try and get him not to shoot.

"It's a term, a stupid outdated term! I mean no disrespect by it, sir! But surely you have that information in your head now too, don't you?"

There was a pause, after which the Servant seemed to have gotten said information, and holstered his weapon. Johnny Cid gave a sigh of relief that he wasn't about to be murdered by Han Solo.

"So wait, from what I recall hearing about these Grail Wars, each Servant comes in a different class. Like a Quarterback or a Linebacker. Which one are you?"

Giving Johnny Cid an amused look, the Servant known as Han Solo simply patted his stead, then pointed up at the de-cloaking ship above them.

"I have a Tautaun I'm saddled on and above me is the Millennium Falcon; what class do you think I am, kid?"

Smacking himself on the head, Johnny Cid chided himself for not putting it together himself.

"Of course, you'd be a Rider. Not like you were waving a lightsaber about or using that Force hocus-pocus yourself."

"You're a mage, and you use the term 'hocus-pocus'?"

"Right, doesn't sound good coming from me, does it?"

Looking around them, Rider seemed to take in the amount of bodies lying dead because of his Master. Rather disturbed by the display, the inquired about them.

"What exactly are you going to do about all of them?"

"Eh, the Mages' Association handles the cleanup. I just find and produce the bodies."

This earned a tired sigh from Rider, not too pleased by this Master's lack of empathy for the people he's killed. Granted, Rider himself had killed plenty of imperials in his day, but that was war. Or Rebellion, whichever. This was just a hit, which if nothing else reminded Rider too much of his old "friends" that the Hutt sent after him.

"-cannot believe this is happening, I gotta text Baptiste and Eleanor about this! My God, they're going to freak! We're gonna take the Falcon out for a joyride, while of course thinking ways to take out the other Masters and Servants, but first I want to see how quickly we can get from here to Sydney- no no Tokyo! And then maybe we can pick up some cute Russian chicks-"

Rider began to miss the days when it was just him and the Wookie causing trouble around the galaxy. Not that he regrets linking up with the Rebellion, but if anyone had told him that his increased fame would result in him being summoned by some fanboy a universe away, he might have just told that old man back at the Cantina 'no'.

But as he looked at his 'Master', who was busy talking more to himself than to Rider about their various plans and strategies, and just generally freaking out about 'how cool' this wall was, Rider couldn't help but feel like he was in for as much fun as he had, back when he did say 'yes'.

At least this time there's no Hutt putting a bounty out on his head.

* * *

FRR: What? Going with a Force-sensitive would have been too easy. Besides, everybody loves Solo.


	7. Chapter 0-7

Hayato

Disclaimer: I'd make some joke about "If I owned Fates, they'd be all remade into MOBAs", but I'm not that evil.

 **Vanitas:** **I've been rather successful with Moon festival, and it's only been a day. Summoning tickets are the key, my friends.**

 _Forsaken: Yeah you are right, my summoning tickets have only been black key._

 **Vanitas: Well, it's unfortunate, but it seems Kotomine has spooked you. I wish you well my Lancer Friend!**

Ch.0-7: Making the Worst of a Bad Situation

* * *

/The East side of the City, 6:30 p.m. (Monday, Week 1)

Three black Humvees drove by with all speed, dart down each road in this abandoned part of the city. For a recently built city, to have so a large amount of space abandoned and in disrepair was a stain on Seihai City's reputation. To the drivers of the Humvees, the trashy neighborhoods origins were the least of their concerns.

5 Plasma Arrows had been stolen from the Weapons Tech. lab at base, and 12 guards were killed by the thief as they escaped. This thief also got away with several experimental high-powered rifles, as well as (for some reason) the base's colonel's hat. Orders are shoot to kill upon finding the target, as the weapons developed in the city are top secret, and any proof of their existence could bring the whole worlds' forces down upon this independent state.

Hayato was perfectly aware of the trouble stirred up by his theft, and wasn't concerned in the slightest about the consequences. So far as he was concerned, once the Holy Grail War has properly started, he can just win and leave the city before the worlds' armies, the Mages' Association, or the Church's Exorcists feel like sticking their hands in and taking control. And win the war he shall, there was no doubt in his mind.

Mages can be such simple, stubborn folk. So set in their ways that they refuse to install phone lines, hideaway in the little family mansions, and scoff at the idea of using modern weaponry. And to those brave enough to suggest adapting to the modern day, they slap such big thinkers down with an iron hand.

Well Hayato was tired to of being struck by them, and with this chance that the Grail War presents, he aims to return the favor.

Making sure that there were no other Humvees passing by, he ran out of the bush he was hiding in and darted for the alleyway. Brushing aside the debris he had set up earlier to hide the rusted door behind it, Hayato ducked inside his secret hideout.

* * *

/Some Forgotten Theater, 6:30 p.m.

The summoning circle was marked on the floor, the various acquired weapons were laid out upon it, and he had his summoning chant prepared and memorized. Hayato was extremely pleased with himself.

 _With this, the future is mine. If a Tohsaka brat can pull a Servant from the future, then it should be nothing for one such as me to bring forth some brutal norm soldier from the future as well. With these untested weapons as an anchor, it should be literal child's play to gain the ace I need._

He was about to start his summoning chant, when his eye caught something off about the summoning circle. Inspecting it closely, he slapped his head in frustration as he saw his error.

"Ox's blood, I forgot to apply the ox's blood. Where did I leave that accursed vial?"

Looking all over the stage, he could not find the misplaced vial. It wasn't on the table he had set up, on any of the left over props from the last production that he'd occasionally leave a book or jacket on.

 _I must have left it old director's office. It's no matter, it's not like there's a real timer for these things._

Leaving via stage right, Hayato failed to notice some rumbling coming from behind the prop tower used in some old _Romeo and Juliet_ play. A young child poked his head out from under a tarp covered closet, and seeing no one around he came out.

The little runaway had a ragged sweater on, riddled with holes, along with some torn jeans and a surprisingly well-kept baseball hat. He couldn't have been older than 9 years old, and looked like he'd barely had anything to eat in days.

The child was frantically looking around, wanting to be sure that Hayato was nowhere to be seen.

"Finally, that Satanist is gone. Just what is he doing?"

His eyes fell upon the shimmering summoning circle, and the boy cringed as he recalled when he first saw Hayato.

* * *

/5 days ago

Previously, this child was the only occupant of this abandoned theater. The other orphans had moved on to another spot to squat in or where taken by child services to be put in proper homes. That morning, two grown men came bursting in onto the stage, dragging with them a strange looking deer and carrying various bags on their shoulders.

The child was up in the balcony seats above, having been trying to get the projector to play an old DVD he had found scrounging through some boxes. When the two men came inside, he ducked behind some seats, not knowing whether they were gang members or undercover cops. Peeking over the wall to see what they were up to, he saw them slit the throat of the deer-ish creature, one of them pulling out a large paint brush from one of their bags and marking the floor in the creature's blood. The boy had to look away, and despite wanting not to make a single sound he barfed all over a nearby seat.

The men below failed to hear them, and in fact were getting into an argument. One that intensified enough for one of the two to start firing silver rings from their fingertips at the other, which cut into the target's legs and arms. When the boy regained control of his stomach and dared to peek over at them again, the previously attacking mage was burnt to a crisp, and the other man was waving his hands in the air, seemingly dismissing the orange orb that was holding the burnt dead mage. This victor was Hayato, who then heaved his former associate's body onto his shoulder and left with it out the way they had come in.

The boy tried telling the other orphans about what he had seen, but they ridiculed and dismissed him, saying how magic wasn't real and he's always going on about having seen fairies or brick-bears wandering about. To be fair, the boy had told these tales before, but even then he truly had seen these things. He has no idea why the others never witnessed them, but after having suffered bite marks from a nasty bunch of fairies, he swore never to doubt what he saw, as whether or not others believed him he had the scars to prove their existence.

Not wanting to leave his abandoned home, but not daring to be seen by this murderous magic user, the boy hid out in various spots for the next four days. He witnessed Hayato bringing in various beakers full of strange liquids, satchels filled with rolled up papers, and every once in a while the boy swore he saw blood stained on the man's hands. What little he remembered of his parents, he doesn't recall them being particularly religious. But what they did teach him was to look out for dangerous men, or cultish looking villains. And this man reeked of something foul.

* * *

In the present, the boy was trying to think of what to do. He had swiped Hayato's vial of Ox's blood before he left this morning to go wherever it was he grabbed those guns from. Being caught with it wouldn't be the best thing to do, but even if he just kept it away from the man, he'd likely just give up on this vial and go get another one. How could the boy thwart whatever he was planning?

Thinking back to what he's seem Hayato do over the past 5 days, the boy believed that this circle must be intended to summon some sort of demon. Why the man wanted to do this, the boy didn't know, but he wasn't going to let something as dangerous as a demon loose in the Eastside. For all the teasing, the other orphans were the boy's friends, and they'd surely be the first victims of whatever was unleashed from this circle if he just let Hayato complete his task.

But…

What if the boy summoned something first?

Not only would it use up all the resources Hayato had spent making this circle, but if whatever to kid brings forth was pretty strong, he could hold Hayato prisoner until he got the police to arrive.

"Yeah, that's it. I'll just summon a demon before he does. No, not a demon stupid. An angel!"

He hurriedly uncorked the vial and ran around the circle, outlining it with the ox's blood. The summoning circle did shimmer a little bit, but nothing else happened after 3 minutes. Confused and impatient, but more importantly worried about Hayato returning and seeing him, the kid paced back and forth trying to figure out what went wrong.

"Oh wait, he was going to chant something before he realized he was missing the vial. And two days ago, he was mumbling to himself about placing relics down on the circle."

Looking around, he saw the guns that Hayato had stolen laying a little away from the circle.

 _Those look heavy. And mom never wanted me to mess around with guns._

Suddenly the boy remembered something. An important gift some nice woman had given him, when his parents were still alive.

Racing back under the tarp he was keeping his stuff under, the boy came back out holding a blue helmet, with a yellow visor shaped like a beak. Returning to the circle, the boy's memory leapt back to a convention his dad had taken him to, when he was about 7. A lady dressed up as some video game character, who his dad called a "cosplayer", noticed that he was staring intently at her helmet. She had smiled and asked if he wanted it, and though his dad told her that it's fine and that he would just get the boy a cheap version at the mall, the lady insisted and took off her costume's helmet, kneeling down and giving it to boy, while patting him on the head.

"She said that hero's name was Pharah. Pharah would know what to do with that guy."

Placing the helmet down in the middle of the circle, the boy tip-toed back out, being careful not to smudge the line of ox's blood he had just applied.

Moving his hand out like he'd seen Hayato do earlier, the boy tried to come up with an on the spot incantation.

Brave lady who…flies through the sky!

Please hear me, for I…I

I need your help!

There's a scary man here, and I think he's trying

To summon a demon!

The nice lady said that you're a hero, so if you can hear me

Please come quickly, he's already killed someone!

A red symbol appeared on the young boy's hand, and the circle began to swirl with a sudden gust of wind, blowing the tarp off of various covered objects and nearly knocking the boy back off of his feet. He covered his face in fright, pretty sure that he'd messed up and summoned a demon instead.

"Child, are you the one who called to me?"

That voice couldn't be a demon's…could it?

Lowering his arms to look in front of him, the boy saw the heroine that the lady was cosplaying years before. But her armor fit better, and didn't appear to be well designed plastic, but metal. Her suit's wings actually let off some sparks, like the jetpack actually worked. And as for her weapon…

"Is that real? Are you…really here?"

Walking out of the circle, the woman moved towards the boy. He backed away and raised his arms in fright, so she slowed down, placed her rocket launcher on the floor, and offered her hand as a sign of peace.

"I mean you no harm. You called for me, did you not?"

"…you're Pharah?"

"Indeed, child."

"The real Pharah?"

"There are fake me's?"

"What the hell is going on here?!"

The boy turned around to see Hayato coming down the stair, looking pissed off beyond belief at what was in front of him. Pharah quickly reached down for her rocket launcher, but before she could fire the boy was wrapped up in an orb and flew backwards towards Hayato, stopping in mid-air in front of him and between him and Pharah. Snarling as he spoke, the mage addressed the heroine.

"Who are you?! Are you with those soldiers from the weapons tech. base?!"

Keeping her launcher pointed in his direction, she answered as calmly as she could manage.

"I know nothing about this 'tech base'; I was only answering the call of a frightened child. Put him down, and I'll leave something of you to be tried in court."

Hayato rolled his eyes in annoyance. The then twitched his fingers, which caused the orb around the boy to constrict somewhat. Pharah shouted at the mage in response.

"Stop! Let the boy go!"

"Or what? You aim to kill me as it is, soldier, but while I have the boy your underdeveloped morality keeps you in check. Now I won't ask you again, who are you?!"

For all her anger, she couldn't risk harming the child. Lowering her launcher, but keeping in a ready position, she answered the mage.

"My call sign is Pharah, and I've been summoned to your world as the… _servant_ class called Archer. That boy there is apparently-"

"Your master."

The shock of what was going on took Hayato a moment to recover from, though when he did he grasped the orb with both hands and tried shrinking by physically crushing it (this is not how the spell works).

"You disgusting little insect, you robbed me of my chance! Now then who are you, some Mage Association midget spy?! A brat trained to interfere with outcast mages' affairs?!"

The boy was crying in fear, which was enough to push Archer to action and have her fly and dash towards to two. Seeing that his anger was endangering himself, Hayato quickly released the orb and started muttering something.

"Archer, stop!"

To her shock, Archer found herself unable to move, after the boy of all people had spoken. His tone was completely different from before, almost emotionless as he gave his command. Looking over at him, Archer saw that one of the marks on his hand was gone, with only two remaining. And around his neck…

"This boy, for whatever reason, has robbed me of the…privilege of being your direct master, Archer. So to make up for this, I've placed a geas on the boy. He will obey my every command, and in turn, so will you."

"By those Command Seals, you mean. I'm still learning what this whole Master/Servant deal is, but I know that you only get three of those. Just how many are you willing to waste?"

"That depends, Archer-"

The orb holding the boy began to cackle with orange lightning, barely missing the boy with each strike. The boy didn't fidget or flinch in response, just staring emotionlessly in Archer's directions.

"-are **you** willing to test my patience? Swear fealty to me and I'll keep your young Master alive. Raise your tone around me or attempt to kill me, and I'll have the boy bite down his own tongue, or just order him to command you to kill yourself. So, what are your next words to me going to be, then?"

Seeing no other option, as much as it disgusted her Archer got down on one knee, like a knight before her king.

"… I pledge fealty to you, mage. I shall fight this war on your behalf. Till I find a way to free the boy."

"Oh you're welcome to try."

Releasing the orb from around the child, Hayato pushed the boy forward, whose consciousness seemed to resurface as he walked towards Archer. Running the last few steps into her arms, the boy cried messily against her. Patting his back, while staring daggers up at their captor, Archer started to plan for ways to get the boy out of this man's grasp. Smirking, Hayato walked past them and grabbed one of the Plasma Arrow rifles he's swiped before.

 _This is not the way I wanted things to go. But in a way, it's not the worst scenario. That boy will be seen as the real master of Archer, so while the enemy is focused on containing him, I can snipe away from afar. And if they hesitate to act so as not to harm a child, those are just more openings for me to take advantage of. If nothing else, I'm the real Archer of this war, but I remain my own master!_

* * *

FRR: Well he's a real piece of work, isn't he? Whelp folks, next chapter is official "Chapter 1".


	8. Chapter 1: Feuding Cousins

Disclaimer: We don't own the Fate series, any of the fictional series the various servants come from, or Type-moon at all. But we're bored and imaginative, so sit back and enjoy the madness.

 _Forsaken: Rejoice, Dear Readers. Your patience is being rewarded._

 _ **glasbowl14: No Matter what you do, or where life takes you, you needn't worry; I'll always be there**_

… _ **to look at you funny and say "Well that doesn't make any sense."**_

FFR: Yeah, that sounds like me. Sense isn't always guaranteed.

Chapter 1: Feuding Cousins

* * *

/Iwai Residence, North District of the city, 7:30 a.m. (Tuesday Week 1)

"I will be fine, Caitlyn, really. Thanks for letting us stay the night, but it would really be for the best if we got our own spot to hideout in."

"Rubbish. Unless you plan to glamour some innocent landlord, you running off on your own and wasting funds on something as mundane as rent is just plain rubbish. You're staying with me Eiji. I used to babysit you when you were 5, and you ain't that much different now."

"Caitlyn, you never babysat me, you just bossed me around since you were 7! You're just two years older than me, quit acting like-"

Eiji didn't get to finish his defiant speech, as Caitlyn had snatched him and placed him a head lock. Berserker moved to strike the young woman, but Eiji frantically waved him off while trying to pry himself free of her grip. Caitlyn was shaking him to and fro in her grasp.

"You. Are. Staying. Here. With. Me! I'm letting you run off and shack up with some local floozy."

Sighing, Eiji saw that he might of made a mistake. Clearly Caitlyn was still holding on to that old conversation she overheard their parents having when they were younger.

"Caitlyn, we are not engaged. My mother should have never promised you that I would-"

Bringing his head up closer, Caitlyn licked the back of Eiji's ear. He froze up in response and quit resisting, shivering a bit. Berserker looked curiously at this interaction between the two, as his cheeks flushed red at the sight. Caitlyn noticed this.

"Oh, did you're Servant die a cherry boy?"

Not recognizing the phrase, but getting the meaning, Berserker became incensed and sulked off to the room prepared for him, his footsteps leaving broken imprints in the ground.

Breaking out of his trance, Eiji saw his Servant stomping off in a foul mood. Finally breaking free of Caitlyn's hold, Eiji turned around and retreated backwards from her, keeping his eyes on her while doing so.

"Just what did you say to Berserker?"

"I was just teasing the fella. Who would think a hero would get all bent out of shape about being a virgin?"

"…you know I'm still one, right? It's kind of a sensitive subject with guys, hero or not."

Looking her guest up and down, Caitlyn licked her lips upon hearing this.

"Well, I'm happy to help you out with that."

Eiji was at the door to his room like a lightning bolt, with a speed that would make even Servants jealous.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Closing and bolting the door, Eiji heard Caitlyn sighing in frustration, before apparently dropping onto the couch and turning on the morning news. Sighing himself, Eiji collected himself as he planned his next move.

 _It's not like I don't find her beautiful, but she's like the others. The Edelfelt girl and more have been after me ever since I was young, partially because all of their families want to "align with the Tohsaka victor". God damn mages, it's the fucking 21_ _st_ _century and they're still pulling that arranged marriage crap. If I knew that she felt this way for me completely on her own and wasn't being pushed on me by her folks, that would be one thing, but…_

He snapped out of that mindset, slapping his own cheeks to focus.

 _Now is not the time for that, Eiji. We can deal with Caitlyn's lust for us later; right now we got to consider how we're going to proceed. Do I send out Berserker alone to track down and identify other Masters' strongholds and what class of Servant they have? Mom and Father went out with their Servants, though they got jumped by that War's Berserker by being out themselves. Then again, Father mentioned how an enemy Caster went after Aunty Taiga, so it's not like staying here with Caitlyn is the best option either._

 _But then I did tell her it would be better if I just left, but that woman is more stubborn than Mom sometimes._

An image of Rin mentally hearing him popped into his head, and he adjusted his last statement.

 _Scratch that, no one is more stubborn than Mom._

The mental Rin was now more pissed, leaving Eiji frazzled at just the imagined thought of his mother berating him. Perhaps if he imagined a mental Aunt Artoria laughing in the corner and offering to comfort him while Rin rages, he'd be able to cope like in his childhood. But going that far would be silly…

– Breaking news, reports of the local arsonist being sighted in the South district continues, as police tighten the net around the degenerate. The culprit is said to be a young man, accompanied by a woman with questionable clothing who appears to be able to defy gravity. The young man is suspected of arson, sex-related charges of an undisclosed nature, and assault. While those filing the assault charge are noted criminals, the damage done to the motel room is credited exclusively to the young man. –

"Caitlyn, what on Earth are you watching?"

"Channel 11 news. Care to come join me?"

Smiling weakly, he answered.

"I'm good."

– Descriptions of the boy suggest that he's of middle or high school age, possibly 15 years old. He possess neat combed back purple hair, sign of clear delinquency… –

"Wait a minute…"

– said to dress in a neat school uniform, though how he expects this to counter his delinquent hair is anyone's guess, and wears glasses. A woman who met a young man matching his descriptions describes him as a 'rude, impatient little (word we can't use on air), and that it doesn't surprise her that he's the type to force himself on girls. Says he made disparaging remarks towards her because of her gender, and tried to prevent her from making her family dinner. –

Despite the nonsense about the sexual predator like charges, and the arson and assault, the description of a rude purple haired young man sounded an awful lot like…

"Tendou. Dear God man, what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're a Master too?"

Coming out of his room and checking the television screen, Eiji saw a video shot from someone's phone being broadcasted, of a young man clutching on to the legs of someone who appeared to be a young woman, while they were aboard a large flat piece of paper. The two then soared off into the air, the young woman apparently laughing her head off, while Eiji heard the young man scream in a familiar voice.

"That IDIOT! Why is he fighting in the Grail War, he knows I'm here already. What, does he want to come kill me or something, or does he not know the rules of a Grail War?!"

Caitlyn looked up at Eiji, who was standing behind her fuming as he tightly gripped her sofa. Her face was soft and understanding, having heard Tendou's voice and recognized it as well.

"Eiji, I'm so sorry. I can't believe Tendou went and got a Servant of his own."

"He's always been like this. It's like whatever vendetta Aunty Sakura never had manifested in him. Why does he hate me for what Grandfather Tokiomi decided to do?"

Reaching up to nurse his face with her hand, Caitlyn tried to reassure him.

"Oh come on, it's Tendou. Yeah, he can be abrasive and competitive, but I'm sure he's not here to fight you. Or you know, at least not kill you. It's not like it's a rule that one Master has to kill the other Masters, your parents didn't off each other after all."

 _According to Mom, she 'tried' to end Father plenty of times, though knowing her…_

"And not just them, since Aunt Sakura was apparently a Master as well; clearly he would know about Masters surviving despite being relatives with other competitors. He might just be here to show you up."

Calming down a bit after this, Eiji vaulted over the couch to sit down on it next to Caitlyn. The idea that his cousin was just here to one-up him made him chuckle a bit, not out of doubt of Tendou's abilities but because it would totally be something that goes through his mind.

Berserker had opened his door when he heard Eiji yelling earlier, and looked at the TV screen to see what was causing his rage. Seeing what appeared to be a Servant flying off with a young man, Berserker seemed to enter his class' angered state at the sight.

"Master and Servant…will we be pursuing them?!"

Noting his Servant's excitement, Eiji thought for a moment before answering.

"Yes, but not as enemies. That Master is my cousin, so we're not going to hurt him."

"…the Servant?"

"Her, you can drop, but only if she tries anything. No reason to be rough with people we can talk out of fighting."

"Understood. Do you have an idea…where your cousin would go?"

Scratching the back of his head, the young Master couldn't come up with an immediate answer.

"I mean, he's always been a bit of a miser, and we didn't really 'share' at family get-togethers. Though to be fair, I guess it would be more accurate to say he doesn't like to over-spend his money. So if that cheap looking motel that caught on fire was a place he felt like staying at, our best bet is to try and find places with either low rent or in an equally cheap overnight price."

"That would probably be in the South District. The mayor likes to focus so much on us here in the North District, that the other areas tend to be underdeveloped. South District is where a lot of teens like to go to for a cheap room. You know for…"

"Yeah I get it Caitlyn, thanks."

Moving for the closet, Eiji opens it and pulls out a red cotton jacket. Next he retrieves a green satchel that jingled with sound as he moved it, the various gems he's forged making noise as he straps the bag over a shoulder. Berserker came up alongside him and took his parka, which materialized with him. Eiji gave him a surprised look as he saw his Servant putting on his a coat of his own.

"Aren't you just going to 'Henshin' later? Why bring a coat?"

"Can still be cold…when not transformed. And besides, you said to take the Servant down…if she tries anything…may not have to."

Nodding his head down with eyes closed and a small smile, acknowledging the fact and finding it funny that the Berserker is less concerned with fighting than he is, Eiji laughed a little and closed the closet. Turning around to face Caitlyn briefly, Eiji bowed to her, which Berserker nervously copied on sight.

"Well we're off. This thing with Tendou should be resolved soon; it's nothing to worry about. We'll be back before you know it."

"You better."

Turning around slightly, the two of them left through the main door. Seeing a man getting on a motorcycle across the street from them, Berserker looked longing at the machine as the man rode of, something Eiji noted as he followed his Servant's line of sight.

"Right, you _Riders_ and your machines. Maybe I'll get you one later, would be useful to have."

"Not of the Rider class…my skill is diminished as I am."

"That's cool, I can ride myself. You can just hang on in the back."

Catching a tram, the two rode it down to the South District, noting the changing types of citizens as the ride got closer and closer to their destination…

* * *

/Lunen Park, South District, 9:00 a.m.

Searching around town, they heard a lot of people talk about spotting a young man matching Tendou's description, but at least 3 leads led to a purple haired delinquent who had decided to hold up a couple of convenience stores this week. Having simply picked a bad time to be going around robbing people, as the heat from Tendou's spectacle was now following on his lap, the delinquent was rendered unconscious from a single tap from Berserker. The duo left him by the entrance of the local police district, with an iron bar twisted around him to keep him from moving.

Checking out some of the area's cheap hotel, none of them had Eiji's cousin within them, and after asking the first landlord Eiji decided that is was best to not ask directly, rather having Berserker scout in spirit form.

Coming to an unfinished looking part of the town, barricade away from the regular populace with fences and barbed wires, Eiji and his Servant found the area to be occupied with empty motels and under construction apartment buildings. Berserker seemed to stir as he picked up something in the air, becoming slightly agitated by the scent.

"Mana is strong here…definitely a Servant nearby."

"Right. Go back into Spirit form then. I don't won't to spook my cousin, making it seem like I've come to take him out first."

Nodding in agreement, Berserker disappeared into the air. Looking around, Colin spotted light coming from a nearby Subway station. Descending its stairs, he saw a small gathering of homeless people around a fire in a steel can.

 _Even in a developing city, people who can't make it get thrust into poverty. And with all these empty buildings too; couldn't they have offered them housing with all the effort they're putting into this place? Or at least a ticket to somewhere else._

Turning around to leave, he suddenly heard a very familiar voice. It was whining about something, as usual.

"Look at this, they're saying that I was holding you against your will! They're making me out to be some sort of pervert!"

An unfamiliar voice answered the Matou heir, though Eiji could only make out some of her words. Moving towards the voices, turning quite a few corners in the process, the Tohsaka heir came across his cousin, squatting in a ticket masters office seemingly talking to himself.

Knowing better, he announced himself from around the corner, so as to not startle Tendou too much.

"Yo Tendou, is that you?"

He heard the sound of Tendou jumping up in alarm, seemingly banging his foot against something due to coming up to fast.

 _If I had just walked up to him, he'd likely of hurt himself on something out of fright anyway. Staying back a bit lets him collect his dignity before he's ready to see me. And you know, without him blaming me for his pain._

"…Eiji? You're here?"

"That I am. You're not going to toss an acid termite at me or anything if I come out, are you?"

"What? No, I'm not going to attack you! And you know damn well that my Origin-"

"Controls ants, I know I know. You're still getting provoked by that 6 years later. Lighten up, man."

Eiji noticed that Tendou's Servant hadn't said anything since he made his presence known, and while he doubted his cousin would order an attack on him, he had no idea how the Servant would react to him. Coming forward, he approached the office while appearing to have not a worry in the world.

"Seriously though cousin: what are you doing here? You know it's my mission to complete my mom's work. It's not like I want to be here, but Aunt Artoria and Father won't let mom go, and I'm not letting Father put more on his shoulders than he already has. Why did you come?"

"You think I wanted to? Grandfather Zouken is forcing me into this! I want to be miles away from this mess!"

"Zouken? I thought you're mom kicked him out years ago."

"Yeah, well he's been pestering me for months now, once word got around that another Grail War was about to start."

Eiji made the mistake of letting a piteous look show on his face, which only earned him his cousin's anger.

"Don't give that, I don't need your sympathy! Why do all of you think I can't handle myself?!"

Recognizing what he did wrong, but confused by his cousin's attitude, Eiji tried to smooth things over with Tendou.

"What are you talking about? You think our family doesn't be- dude you discovered your origin by accident when we were like 7. No one thinks little of you as a mage."

"Right, that's why you're the one with arranged marriages set up since you started walking. And I'm the one with the creepy exiled grandfather."

Starting to realize the real reason Tendou might have agreed to….no, set out to be a Master, Eiji started to lose his patience.

"Oh quit making it seem like Zouken's holding your dog collar. You're doing this because you're freaking jealous of me?! Is that it?!"

"What's there to be jealous of?! You're only the star child, the little gem master. Yeah whoop-di-do, I learned how to control ants at age 6. How many girls want to hang out with the kid who can control insects? Even the guys wouldn't play with me, since I took all the "fun" out of messing with bugs!"

"So to feel better about yourself, you cowed in to Zouken and trained to become a Master?! Sorry to tell you this Tendou, but this is pretty stupid place to have a pity party for yourself! And if you think for one second I'm going to just leave you here, then-"

"Oh, what do you plan on doing with my Master?"

Eiji suddenly heard a voice behind him, and for the second time that day a pair of lips came extremely close to one of his ears, whispering like a naughty imp.

"And just when I was breaking him in…"

Tendou turned scarlet, implying something rather…imaginative from what his Servant meant by 'breaking him in'.

Eiji turned around to see a petite young woman returning to physical form behind him, posing like a bear about to devour her prey.

Not recognizing that she was doing this in a playful, teasing manner, Berserker changed out of his own spirit form and rushed at her from the end of the hall, shouting to transform as he drew close.

" **AMAZON!** "

Performing a dashing reverse-lariat, so that his forearm's blades came forward, Berserker attempted to take off Caster's head. Seeing him in time, she comically ducked backwards, looking in awe at her assailants arm as it flew past where she was moments before.

Landing on the other side of the room, Berserker turned around in an attempt to continue, but Eiji ordered him down.

"Berserker, calm down! She wasn't going to attack me!"

Tendou ran up alongside his Servant, whispering into her ear while keeping his eyes on Berserker.

"You weren't really going to do anything to him, were you?"

"What? Little old me? I'm harmless, practically fragile I tell you; wouldn't even hurt a fly."

Eiji eyed the flippant Servant cautiously, his hands already gripping a magical gem tensely. Recognizing how his cousin looks when he's preparing for hostility, Tendou braced up himself.

"Look, Caster can be…difficult to deal with, but so far she hasn't done anything to extreme."

"Burning down a motel isn't extreme?"

"That wasn't her, necessarily…"

Seeing the situation between the four of them deteriorating, Eiji tried to calm himself and be the peacemaker.

"Look, cousin. Neither of us want to kill each other, **or** see the other get hurt. But you have to know that yes, I'm better for the job at hand than you are. Hell, you're not even here to dismantle the Grail, if you're serious about working for Zouken. Go to the Church Official, surrender you claim as a Master, and go ho-"

"Flood Wall!"

With a quick wave of her hand, Caster caused the ground beneath Eiji to split and a wall of water came busting out like a geyser. Having suspected her of trying something, Eiji clicked the back of his heels quick at the first sign of danger, leaping back and having a small barrier from beneath both his feet. White gem shards shattered underneath his boots soles after being used, and Eiji was sent sailing back though the air to the wall behind him.

Tendou gave his Servant a look mixed between shock and anger, waving his arms in alarm.

"What did you do that for?! There was no need for that!"

"Oh what, he was going on and on. Besides, what kind of Servant would I be if I let my Master be swindled out of victory by some cheap words like that? You've already gone through the trouble of summoning me, why throw it all away because 'White Streaks' here wants you to?"

Being rather sensitive about the single streak of white hair running down the middle of his head, Eiji's opinion of Caster became dropped from annoying imp to rude little devil. Tendou started arguing fiercely with Caster, resembling his father more from when he's forced to share a room with Rin: cat-like bickering and some rather dismissive language regarding women in general.

Berserker rushed in front of his Master, his right hand clutching at his Battle Grip in preparation for a fight. This time Eiji said nothing to calm him down, instead locking eyes directly with his cousin.

"You do not want to do this."

Sighing, the Matou boy stopped berating his Servant and met Eiji's gaze, a steely determination appearing in his eyes that wasn't there before.

"No. But if you try to stop me, I will knock you down a peg or two."

The two pairs of Master and Servant stared each other down. Well, the three boys seriously locked eyes, while Caster was doing a goofy jig in anticipation.

What broke this tension was not one of these four making the first move, but a low buzzing sound come from down the hallway. At first, none of them paid it any attention, but Berserker seemed to grow alarmed by the noise. Suddenly, he made an abrupt 45 degree turn and pulled out his Battle Grip weapon, flailing it wildly as bullets came flying in towards all of them.

" **VIOLENT BREAK!** "

His weapon was once again in the shape of a barbed whip, and he expertly parried each bullet like they were nothing. Eiji watched in awe at just how fast his Servant was able to move. Tendou was distracted as well, so much so that he failed to notice one or two of the shots were making it past Berserker's defenses. Caster, having eyes that track movement better, did not.

"Quit daydreaming and pay attention!"

-knocking her Master out of the way of some incoming fire. Had she not shoved him so far, he might have appreciated the gesture more.

"Jeez, you're as gentle as a gorilla! There are better ways to save a person, you know!"

The thing responsible for the hail of bullets flew closer, revealing itself to be an assault drone, looking more custom made than military grade. Still, the work done on it was impressive: small but decently armed, grey in color and sporting some unknown hover technology that made is more silent than drones that rely on rotors or propellers.

"Graahh!"

A shame then, that Berserker had to smash it to pieces. Leaping at it, he caught the floating weapon in one hand and smashed it against the floor, stomping down for good measure.

This leap had taken him back out into the unfinished subway's main hall, rather than the corridor they were all in earlier. It was here that he was greeted by sudden spear thrust from his left.

"Hrraah!"

Turning in time to block the thrust, Berserker found himself being carried backwards by the force of his new opponent's charge. The man, or rather Servant was a heavily bearded individual, a glowing scar across his left eye and a large similar mark running down his left shoulder and chest. His right shoulder had on it a shoulder guard featuring a ram, and was garbed in a battle skirt and sandals typically depicted as part of some Greek warriors outfit.

This Servant, Lancer, was also carrying a huge shield. To his annoyance, Berserker found that pounding away at it while he was being carried away did seem to do anything to it, besides making it grow red and brighter with each strike.

 _Best…stop doing that._

Having had enough of this, Berserker twisted to the side, letting go of the spear and managing to roll off away from Lancer. The huge man slid forward still, before halting and turning to face his opponent.

"Beast, there seems to be some thought in you. Perhaps you won't be such an easy kill."

Growling in response, Berserker knelt before him on one knee, the other ready to kick off the ground the moment he felt he could close the gap between them safely.

Lancer didn't wait long before charging at him again with his spear in his right hand, though this time Berserker was ready. Rushing at him as well, he spun around as the spear was thrusted at him and swatted it aside with his left arm's blades, before continuing on to Lancer's body and taking a swipe with his right arm. Lancer brought up his shield in time, blocking another strike and gaining more of a glow to his shield.

Getting more enraged with Lancer being able to no sell his strikes, Berserker unleashed a flurry of swipes and elbow strikes, trying to either beat down Lancer or cut him across his exposed areas. While some hits landed home against flesh, Lancer managed to keep his shield up against almost half of Berserker's strikes. Finally, after his shield had gotten blindingly red, Lancer changed his posture and moved back a step, briefly exposing his chest while the red mana from his shield travelled across his arms and shoulders to his spear. Spinning and swinging his spear in a wide arc, he almost caught Berserker in this blow.

Having enough sense to see a glowing attack and know 'dodge that', Berserker leapt back to a nearby pillar and pressing his hands up against it, launched off of it back towards Lancer, as the Servant's spear smashed through the bottom of the pillar.

Not wanting to risk whatever power that shield had, Berserker changed tactics. Dropping down to a slide and giving Lancer a swift sweep kick, he managed to get his opponent off of his feet. Ascending quickly and spinning in mid-air, Berserker planted a powerful double kick right in the middle of Lancer's abs, sending him flying down the escalators behind him.

Giving in more to his battle savagery, Berserker charged on down after him target, ready to rip him apart.

* * *

Eiji came out of the corridor and into the hall, turning in time to see his Servant rush after his prey/opponent. The fight between the two Servants was going so quickly, Eiji only managed to get there by the time Berserker had sent Lancer flying off. Impressed to see his Servant handling himself, he moved to go witness the fight down a level but stopped upon hearing a hissing noise in the air.

Snapping his fingers, the red magical gem in his hands grew and enveloped his hands, producing claw-tipped ruby gauntlets on each. Once again snapping his fingers, though this time in the direction of the hissing sound, Eiji released various shots of fire, melting the incoming icicle missiles

"Lancer's Master, I presume?"

The person responsible for firing those ice blasts stepped out from behind a corner. It was a young man with pale skin, white hair and red eyes. Eiji had studied enough from his mother's notes to know who, or what he was dealing with.

"Oh, a homunculus huh? I guess the Einzberns are here to party again?"

"By your red coat, I take it you're the Tohsaka brat that's been making waves."

"Oh I'm nothing special."

Noticing the gloves on the homunculus' hands, and how he seemed to be fidgeting with them, Eiji sensed he was doing this deliberately to draw attention to them. While there's nothing wrong with this, the young man could feel that this action seemed forced; almost as if he was…

"Besides, let's talk about you. Like the fact that you're standing in for whoever's in control of Lancer."

The homunculus didn't betray any emotion, but the way he instead held up a hand and started forming a sharp ice shard in the air above it gave away that Eiji had made a point. It was the rushed job in which he was forming the spear that suggested this homunculus didn't want him around long enough to figure any other details out.

"Winter's Sting."

"Surtr's Tongue!"

Dashing backwards just to be safe, Eiji washed over the incoming icicle missiles with the same flame streams as before. Taking out an emerald coin, he flipped it towards the homunculus, with the power his gauntlets gave him sending it flying like a bullet. The artificial human was able to raise an ice wall in time to stop it, though upon impact the coin shattered, releasing a miniature tornado that broke the wall and spun the homunculus about, before smacking him against a wall.

Seeing a chance, Eiji dashed forward with a clawed gauntlet stretched out ahead. This was a mistake, as the homunculus quickly rose and made a gesture with both hands, taking control of the broken shards of ice and powdered snow caused by the damage to his ice wall. The various bits of ice and snow flew towards Eiji's gauntlet, circling his wrist before forming a solid ice shackle, with which the homunculus telekinetically tossed Eiji against the opposing wall, and then expanded the ice to stick to it, freezing the young man against the wall.

Quickly he started to heat up the ice, but the homunculus kept apply more from the broken wall with one hand to keep it from melting completely, while forming a small ice dagger in his free hand.

"Too think Tohsaka's heir would be the first Master to fall. There's a poetic irony to that."

"You're rather sure of that."

Using his own free hand, Eiji placed his other gauntlet's clawed finger on the ground, and from it blasted a small line of fire, which quickly encircled the approaching homunculus. Not foolish enough to stay in a ring of fire, the artificial man leapt out as soon as he saw what was happening, but fiery arms from the ring formed and reached out to claw him, cutting into his arms and legs as he moved away.

"Gandr Shot – Flamberge!"

Pointing his now freed gauntlet at the homunculus, with his index finger pointed like a gun, Eiji fired off flaming curse shots shaped like a small German wave-blade sword. The homunculus quickly formed ice shields on his arms to block the shots, but one went through his right thigh and another through his left shoulder.

"Now then, how's about telling me where Lancer's real Master is? It's rather rude to send a lackey to fight in his stead."

– That's hilarious. Do you know what your grandfather did while he worked for my masters? Having Marco there face you is saintly compared to the honor-less garbage pulled by Kiritsugu Emiya. Of course… –

Another drone came flying in, this one armed with what appeared to be disk shooters, and a small handgun like weapon in comparison to the assault rifle on the last one. Reinforcing his legs before the thing started firing, Eiji dashed in a zig zag pattern, avoiding the incoming shots as the drone peppered him.

– I'm not much one for honor either. Guess that makes me more of his successor than you, little Eiji. –

"You know my name. I'm touched. Care to share yours? Otherwise this is going to be a very awkward conversation."

Marco, the named homunculus from early, got up to leave. Eiji turned back and fired off another 'Gandr Shot – Flamberge' in his direction, but the red-eyed magic user countered with a massive ice wall, walking off behind it like it was the most casual thing to do. The voice from the drone continued talking, the tone a lot more playful now.

– Don't you know? It's bad luck to get your reaper's name. The afterlife gets messier for the nosier dead. –

Eiji leapt through an empty magazine store's window, crashing down behind the counter to take cover, and placing an amethyst small statue of an owl on it to see what his opponent was up to without sticking his head out.

"That does not sound like an afterlife in any belief systems I've come across. And I've danced around with quite a few of them."

Seeing the drone sway to the left, Eiji took his chance and popped up, flicking out another emerald coin. This drone had considerably better defenses, as upon seeing the speeding object it erected a small force field around itself, preventing it from being bashed against any surface and mostly maintaining it place in the air, resisting the tornado blasting against it.

 _Just where does this person get such lovely toys?_

As the tornado disappeared, the drone switched out its handgun with what looked to be…a small grenade launcher. Eiji's gut dropped in fear as he saw just how much ordinance was being sent his way.

– It's curtain call, Tohsaka. –

"Yeah, I'd really prefer it if you didn't do that."

Suddenly a swarm of flying insects formed and surrounded the drone, before impacting into it with great force. Upon doing so, they seem to burst into little packets of acid, melting and eating into the drone as they did.

Despite being slower than a bullet, which was the speed the emerald coins were going, these bugs managed to contact and damage the drone without triggering its shields. One lone, metallic ant emerged from the core of the drone, pulling with it various wires and important looking parts from within. Apparently the sabotage had begun earlier.

The drone dropped to the ground, continuing the melt as a few last flying ants bombarded it with their sacrifice. Coming out from the previous corridor, Tendou walked into the hallway, looking over at Eiji crouching behind the store counter while scratching the back of his head.

"…I sent Caster after the other two Servants. To help yours, before you ask."

There was a brief silence between the two, before Tendou continued.

"Well come on, are we going to go take down Einzberns punk or what? He did just rag on your grandfather."

Smirking a bit, Eiji vaulted over the counter (collecting his owl familiar as he did, those are expensive), and ran past his cousin, slashing through the still present ice wall blocking the exit as he did.

Tendou shouted after his cousin, annoyed at having been passed after offering his help.

"Hey, slow down. You nearly just got wasted back there, why you in a rush to go fight him without me?"

"Why are you always so slow? If you moved quicker I wouldn't have to work as hard by myself. I softened it up for you!"

Playfully cursing back and forth, the two normally vigilant mages failed to take note of the increasing amounts of wire strung up along their path, or pick up on the feeling of being watched.

* * *

Sitting on the balcony of some yet to be finished apartment building, Hoshi viewed the two through her tablet, taking note of the magical armaments on Eiji and noting the small satchel that was quivering on Tendou's side, due to the activity of the captured insect queens within. At first sipping from a mug, she put it down and began to use the controls on the glove to input attack patterns to her remaining drones. Based on the subway entrance they emerged from, if they were as competent as the reports suggest the Tohsaka and Matou heirs could find her within 3 minutes to surveying the area.

Not taking that chance, she pressed an option on the corner of her tablets screen, priming the charges of some traps she'd laid.

Taking one last look at the two, Hoshi found herself staring rather long at Eiji's face. Not knowing why she found him so…distracting, she set the tablet down and checked her custom-made Uzi.

 _I can do this. I_ _ **will**_ _do this. The Einzberns didn't take me in out of pity, or warmth. Victory for House Einzberns, or death for the stray. That's what I've been taught all this time. Well_ -

She loaded her Uzi, making sure the Manitcore quill bullets were accounted for.

 _-this 'stray' is about to show everyone just what she's capable of._

* * *

FFR: And So it Begins, Good and Proper.


	9. Chapter 2: Magus Killer

Disclaimer: If I owned Type-Moon, Zorro would already be both a Saber and a Rider in F/GO, as well as Monet being a Caster, as would Anansi. And all of those guys are easier for Type-Moon to get their hands on than the nonsense I'm sharing here. Not that I'm ashamed, but I most definitely do not have the rights to Fate/, Kamen Rider, or any of the other series depicted within.

 _Forsaken_ _:" (Fate/Grand Order) Gatcha hasn't been hell for me, but that's prob mostly cause I've come to terms with it"_

 **Vanitas** **: "I've played around with the thought of running a 14 person battle royale d and d campaign where 7 players are level 5 characters and the other 7 are the level 15 heroic spirits.**

 **But then I remember I like myself too much to deal with that"**

 _ **glasbowl14**_ _ **: "This chapter has been brought to you by Invisible Red Ink:**_

 _ **Invisible Red Ink, it's just like regular red ink, but 20% more beautiful, and only smart people can see it. Prove yourself and buy now for the low price of $19.99".**_

Chapter 2: The Second Coming of the Magus Killer

* * *

"See, this is what happens when you rush ahead, Eiji!"

"What are you, my mother? Sheesh, sorry for being quicker than you!"

Both of the young mages found themselves in quite an uncomfortable situation. Due to Eiji having taken the lead and charging ahead, the young men had triggered a few of Hoshi's traps without noticing. The fact that they were more focused on their bantering than on their surroundings didn't help.

The first trap sprung was a subtle one. The two boys had been clearing the obviously strung up tripwires, none of them thin enough to avoid detection and littering the street ahead of them throughout the sidewalks and even some crossing into the empty streets. They never noticed as the mana Eiji's ruby gauntlet emitted in its active state triggered the special mana-detecting sensor on a few charges Hoshi had hidden in trash cans.

As Eiji ran forward he heard one activate with a loud beep, and he quickly dashed backwards to try and get out of its blast radius.

"Aegis!"

He crushed an orange gem right in front of his chest, forming a breastplate and helm to protect him from much of the blast.

However, Hoshi had anticipated his decision to escape the blast by retreating backwards.

While Eiji had planned to simply crash through the window behind him into the empty clothes store, he founded instead that he was being gripped and dragged further back from behind. Struggling to free himself, the young mage looked down at his waist to see arms made of glass grasping him and trying to pull him through the mirror.

 _Mirror Wraiths! I thought all the artifacts that kept them were under the Mage's Association's control. Why does this Einzbern puppet have one?_

"Swarm, Concert!"

With that command, Tendou had his swarm of Matou breed insects buzz at a painfully high pitch, shattering the glass of the window and dispelling the Mirror Wraiths clutching at his cousin.

 _That's another hive I've had to activate. It's not safe to use more than two at a time, and exposing them makes retrieving them when Caster and I escape much harder._

"So, twice now I've saved your dumb butt. When exactly is that Tohsaka brilliance going to kick in?"

"You and that mouth of yours. I was going to thank you, but now I'll just keep it to myself."

Tendou couldn't keep a childish smile from spreading across his face.

"Yeah yeah, no one's interested in your thanks. Come on, that Einzbern merc has to be around somewhere."

"I have an idea about that."

Pointing at a convex street mirror on the side of the building they were at, Tendou saw a little flash reflect off the surface. Quickly acting like he saw nothing, he spoke to his cousin in a hushed tone.

"Damn it, he has a sniping position?!"

"Doubt it, otherwise he'd be firing upon us already. Likely the moment the Mirror Wraiths grabbed me."

"How are we going to approach him? I rather not rush the building, on the off chance that he **does** have a sniper rifle."

"I'm sure you'll love this plan: I'll act as bait, drawing his attention, while you sneak around and try to find a safe entrance. Either take him down while he's focused on me, or distract him enough until I get up there and help you."

"…okay, a few complaints. Number 1, what makes you think this merc is focused solely on you?"

"Their Servant went after mine, and so far both their homunculus and drone have targeted me. You said it yourself, it's my grandfather they're talking shit about."

"Well yeah, but they came to my hideout. What if they're just warming up beating you and your wild guy about?"

"Please. You're just bait. Clearly I was the Master they were aiming to draw out."

The amount of 'Man, fuck you' that Tendou managed to relay with just his eyes was oscar worthy. And honestly Eiji wanted to get this reaction a little bit.

"Fine. My second issue: why don't you want me to just kill-?"

"No!"

He wasn't about to get into this argument again, but Tendou was tired of the mordern Tohsaka, and by extension Emiya family's attitude of not killing their opponents. Mages were not soft beings, and to survive one had to accept ending the life of those in their way.

Still, having Eiji hate him and come after him over something like this wasn't worth it, so the Matou heir silently agreed not to kill anyone, for now…

* * *

As he descended from his leap, Berserker saw his opponent plant his spear tip in the ground, using it as a pole to spin around. Using this momentum, Lancer managed to strike Berserker with a kick that sent him flying into a nearby pillar.

Recovering quickly, Berserker grabbed ahold of the pillar with his right hand and vaulted around it, avoiding Lancer's spear thrust and landing back on the ground on the other side.

The two Servants paced around each other, observing their opponent closely while readying their next attack. Lancer twirled his spear in hand, showing little concern, all the while keeping his shield up and never letting his eyes stray from Berserker.

"You're form is strange, monster. There were no beasts like you crafted by the gods in my time, and we had satyrs and centaurs to concern ourselves with. You appear to be some sort of freakish lizard half man: I wonder if you're cold-blooded as well."

Berserker tuned out Lancer's taunts, deciding despite the haze his mind was in on what body parts to rip through next: his neck? Perhaps his legs, or maybe his spear arm? The minute he saw an opening, Berserker was going to…

"Looks like somebody's going to be put on ice…"

Hearing her familiar annoying voice coming from behind, and feeling the temperature around them drastically drop, Berserker leapt quickly to his right with as much force as he could.

"Final Embrace!"

Doing so managed to save him from being frozen solid in the center of a sudden ice spell, which shot out icy stalagmites in every direction. Lancer was surprised by this sudden attack, and was knocked back by the force of it even with his shield absorbing most of the blow from an emerging icicle.

"Who is this wench?!"

"My my, the men of this world have no manners whatsoever. Hardly right of a man such as yourself to go around calling others names, when you're some shirtless exhibitionist parading around."

Recovering from the attack, Lancer focused on the now present Caster, who was stretching her arms and yawning as if out of boredom. Pointing his spear at her head, he called out to her.

"Witch then, as you appear comfortable with using magic. Am I to assume then that you're the Caster of this war?"

Smiling like the devil's own daughter, Magilou clapped in what appeared to be genuine joy.

"Indeed, first try. So there is a working brain in that rough noggin of yours. Same can't be said for your feral friend there."

"What, this be-?"

"Harragh!"

Taking the opportunity provided by Caster's distraction, Berserker charged at Lancer's left-side. Lancer heard his roar and turned to block his assault, but Berserker was ready and slid under his raised shield, kicking up at Lancer's arm to send it flying back over his head.

Quickly flipping back upright, Berserker raised both his arms up and slashed downwards, though Lancer was able to block his left arm-blades by parrying them quickly with his spear. Unfortunately for him, Berserker's right arm cut through his chest, leaving a gash spurting out blood.

The maddened Servant followed this up with an onslaught of feral punches to Lancer's wounded chest, but the scarred warrior had quickly had enough and slammed down his shield onto Berserker. The feral young man had use both of his arm-blades to block it, leaving him vulnerable to Lancer's spear as the Spartan pulled it back.

"Time you were slain, monster! **Laconian-** "

"Are you two really going to forget about me?! Blood Moon!"

Lancer's spear was glowing a frightening red, but just as he was in the middle of his thrust Caster's spell caused a transparent red moon to form between him and Berserker, which then expanded and blasted the two of them back. Berserker was partially glad, because he had almost been impaled. He did not, however, enjoy being on fire, and while he was able to extinguish is with a burst of mana, Lancer's spear still clipped the left side of his stomach as he was sent hurtling back.

Coming to his feet and positioning himself so that he had a view of both Lancer and Caster, Berserker paced to his left, which the others copied ensuring that their triangle wasn't broken. Caster was still smiling mischievously, and when she saw Berserker focusing his gaze on her she waved cheekily back at him.

"What, don't give me that look. You tried to take my head just a moment ago."

"You…threatened Eiji."

"Me? Heavens no. I merely wanted a better look at the would-be swiper of my Master. What could I even do against such a prodigy as him?"

"Enough chattering, witch! I'll have your head for your trickery!"

Lancer charged down at Caster, seemingly ignoring the fact that his left side was once again exposed to Berserker. Thrusting multiple times at her, Lancer found that his opponent was deceptively nimble, swaying to and fro from each strike with the grace of a leaf in the wind.

He attempted to swing at her in a full clockwise motion, but found his spear stopped by Berserker's arm-blades, who had rushed to him and was now grinding his blades down the shaft of Lancer's spear to swipe at him. Lancer parried some blows, but couldn't stop Berserker from kicking the back of his knee and bringing Lancer down onto the ground.

Caster observed the two of them with mild interest.

 _The speeds at which us Servants can go here is quite a sight. I bet these two can't reach anything close to this back in whatever world they come from. Hmm, I wonder what a speedy little Phi would be like here?_

Berserker tried to crash his claws down into Lancer's skull, but the mighty warrior pulled up his shield in time, pushing Berserker away before swinging his spear around once more, knocking Berserker's legs out from under him and then kicking him away while he was in mid-air.

"Stay put beast! I'll attend to you later!"

Returning his focus to Caster, he continued his previous attempts to impale her, something which only her.

"Come on, really? I've already shown you I can dance all around you twig here, what makes you thing a second go will change things?"

In answer, Lancer charged forward with his shield in front, catching Caster by surprise and bashing her soundly with it. It glowed more intensely red from this just as it would if an enemy had struck it. The blow stunned Caster, leaving her bent over and holding her head. Actual canaries seemed to form a ring around her head, but Lancer ignored this.

"Caster!...Pay attention!"

Snapping out of her daze, Caster looked up just in time to see Lancer's spear about to impale her forehead. She dodged this strike like the others, but was noticeably slower this time. Lancer took note and intensified his assault, switching between spear thrusts and more attempts at shield bashing. Caster ended up having to spring up some giant pieces of Ritual Paper from the ground to block some blows. Or rather slow them down as Lancer's spear tore through them.

Seeing Lancer trying to bash her with his shield bash once more, Caster used another ritual paper, but rather than dodge Lancer pulled back and fired off one more thrust. But after cutting it down he found that Caster had leapt off of another piece of paper she'd planted on the ground, which had sprung her into the air like a trampoline.

However, now she was stuck in the air, and seemed to realize this as she comically flailed, looking quite worried. Seeing this, Lancer smiled darkly and his shield began to glow a dim red once more as his spear took in its power.

"Begone! **Laconian Stri-** "

" **Violent Punish!** "

Dashing right in front of Lancer, Berserker swung upwards and parried his spear thrust, sending shockwaves throughout the train platform they were standing on and destroying several pillars around them with the force of their Noble Phantasms clashing.

Lancer's spear was no worse for wear, nor were Berserker's arm-blades, but Caster was knocked back out of the air by the force created by the two, and the ceiling directly above them was destroyed, leaving a hole to the surface.

Being knocked back from Berserker's parry, Lancer skidded a few feet before steadying himself, glaring at Berserker while taking up his Spartan positioning again.

"That is the second time you two have interrupted my finishing blow! It will not happen a third!"

"Quit being…obvious about it. Then maybe…it'll hit!"

Lancer kicked up the dirt like a horse about to charge, ready for another round. Berserker was about to take up his own fighting stance again, but…

"My hero! Awe, you do care."

Caster was climbing on his back, attempting to pull at his masked form's "cheeks" in a cute way. Shaking her off, he grabbed the mischievous spellcaster with one arm and held her in front of him, like a kitten whose mother had grabbed it by the collar.

"…Caster…"

"Hey now, don't be mad. Your Master wanted an alliance, right? Come on, let's take this muscle head down together."

Thinking back to what Eiji had said earlier, Berserker seemed to consider this.

– _Her, you can drop, but only if she tries anything. No reason to be rough with people we can talk out of fighting. –_

"Sure…help out!"

Tossing Caster in the direction of Lancer, Berserker chuckled a little as the witch cursed at him in non-vulgar, imaginative means. He then charged down his opponent, who had sprinted forward the minute Berserker had sent Caster flying.

Pissed off and not interested in being the center of a Magilou sandwich, Caster tossed out a ritual paper to bounce off of, jumping off to the side and out from between the two rushing Servants. Landing near the edge of the train platform, she turned around and started casting another spell.

"Screw you guys, you both suck. If you're so dead set on fighting, you can get a lot closer…"

Sensing from her inability to keep quiet that she was preparing another attack, Lancer tried to retreat backwards. But this time the spell Caster unleashed wouldn't allow for quick foot work to save the day.

"Gravity Mine!"

Lancer and Berserker were forcefully pulled together, into a purple orb between them that sucked in debris from all around and started crushing them. Both Servants were strong enough to resist being pulped by these g-forces, but Lancer was having a hard time keeping his weapons up.

Berserker had no such problem, forcing his hands to grip Lancer's wrist and pulling him close, against the spiraling forces of Caster's spell. Reaching back and letting his fist fly, he landed a solid punch across Lancer's face, repeating this strike 3 more times before the spell subsided. Twisting Lancer's wrist to so that he couldn't move to strike Berserker with his spear, the feral Servant drew forth more strength for another blow. However…

"Ready…steady…and BLAMO! Explode!"

Caster's previous spell was succeeded by a much fiercer fire spell than the last one, blasting the two male Servants apart and planting them in separate pillars opposite each other.

Noticing that Lancer's weapons were glowing, Caster saw that this time the red mana surged into his body from both his shield and spear. His scar glowed a brighter red, and his face twisted into a maddening fury. Having no desire to face whatever crawled out of that pillar alone, Caster decided to ease up on her teasing.

"I can patch you up, but I'm not able to change your feelings! Healing Circle!"

Rushing over to Eiji's Servant and using her magic to restore some lost strength to Berserker, Caster playfully tried to play off her previous actions.

"So hey, how's about a friendly truce? We bust this fool, then go skipping back to our silly little mages. No more blasting or tossing each other, deal?"

Berserker stared cautiously at Caster, though with his Amazon 'mask' on Caster wasn't sure if he was just staring blankly at her or glaring. Still, she got her answer, when he moved her aside to avoid a rampaging Lancer.

"In my brother's footsteps, by my people's glory! Know the end you've brought upon yourselves! **Rage of Sparta!** "

* * *

Feeling the extra mana draining from her, Hoshi cursed as she realized what must be transpiring.

 _What kind of Servant could that Tohsaka have summoned to force Lancer to use his second Noble Phantasm? I didn't agree to summoning a Berserker, nor am I capable of fueling anything like one for long, and he promised he'd only use such draining powers if facing one!_

Lacking the formal magic training of proper mages, and not too keen on getting a mana transfer this early in the war (despite Marco having been grown for her…specifications), Hoshi doubled down on eliminating Eiji quicker, so that Lancer wouldn't have to keep his Noble Phantasm active.

Her drones and cameras had picked up the Tohsaka spawn running down an alley a few blocks from her building. He was running in the opposite direction of her location, allowing Hoshi to relax.

 _The little fool still hasn't figured out where I am_.

Inputting a few commands, Hoshi had her closest drone fire upon Eiji, who still had his orange gem helm and breastplate protecting him. She saw through her monitors the young man dash behind a dumpster, tossing up a few green gems. The drone expertly shot down three of them, but the fourth ended up flying by it.

 _Guess his aim isn't always on point. Then again, what else should he expect when he just tosses up him tools blindly?_

As if in answer to her, Eiji flicked another green gem out, though this one flew to the side as well, and halfway towards the drone it fired off an electric blast.

This blast missed the drone as well. Or rather…

It struck the previously launched gem, activating it, and causing its own electric blast to be fired into the drone from behind.

Hoshi lost the feed to her device, though she couldn't help but smile at the young man's performance.

 _Well, well, it seems my prey is more skiledl than I thought. Let's see if he can keep it up._

A small tuning fork emerged from the downed drone, emitting an annoying sound that rang out down the alley Eiji was still in.

Up and down the street he was now emerging onto, Mirror Wraith crawled out of abandoned storefront windows and car rear view mirrors. The young boy could be seen cursing as he calculated what gems to use and how few he could expend saving himself from this fiasco.

Sparks and cursing were the sight and spectacle for Hoshi as she peered through her binoculars at the young mage defending himself. A genuine smile, though cruel in nature, found its way onto her face.

So busy was she, focusing on the sounds of glass shattering and shouting from her target, that she failed to notice the growing buzzing sound coming closer to her.

It didn't escape her notice long.

Quickly spinning around, Hoshi turned a small dial on her glove. Three blue garrote wires shot out from her watch, lining themselves up with her Index, Middle, and Ring fingers. Waving these wires about with expert skill, she slashed through and killed several of Tendou's insects.

Not seeing the Matou heir himself, Hoshi looked all around, quickly trying to see where her opponent was. As she would find out, he wasn't on her floor…

"Swarm: Burst!"

The floor seemed to crumble around her, leaving Hoshi with little time to fire up some of her wires into the ceiling as the floor gave way. Looking down and seeing Tendou smiling up, a swarm of various magically bred insects flying around him, the Einzbern's representative wasted no time swinging away and moving up the staircase, ditching most of her equipment in the room and mentally calling to her Servant.

 _Lancer! Caster's Master is here! Disengage from battling Berserker and come aid me!_

She would not make it a command. Absolutely not, she refused to be the first Master to resort to using up a Command Seal. Lancer would just have to make it to her in time, before that Matou brat can make things worse.

Now was the time to build up trust between the two.

* * *

All of the power absorbed by Lancer's shield was now coursing throughout his body. His Noble Phantasm caused his body to glow an eerie dark red, though that was hardly the only effect it had.

Berserker had found out the hard way that his opponent was now more than a match for him, slapping away his strikes with the back of his hand and thrusting into his body repeatedly with his spear. For all his power, the Amazon was finding that his adversary was able to overpower his every attack.

He had three holes in his chest, his left knee cut open with muscles exposed, and a gash over his head was causing blood to pour over his huge eyes. Even with this amount of damage, Berserker kept on engaging with the glowing red Lancer. Caster couldn't help but be a little impressed by the angry reptilian lad's tenacity.

Still, Berserker knew why he was struggling: he still choose to retain his human reasoning.

His class, the Berserker class, was meant to be an insane fighting machine; a warrior that fought only through rage and instinct. This type of fighting isn't foreign to him, as in his native world he would let himself go and just rip through whatever was in his way. But fighting so blindly can lead to mistakes being made, or being outmaneuvered by an opponent with their own wits still about them.

After having been summoned to this world, Haruka became aware of certain…things now associated with him. His Servant class, his personal parameters, and the skills afforded to him in his current state. So he was fully aware that if he let himself go, his Mad Enhancement would rank up his stats in accordance to how long he's been fighting, and the amount of damage he's been taking.

If he were to allow that, however, he'd no longer be able to decide on whether or not to attack Caster, being likely to just target her as she'd been in his line of sight.

Barely managing to knock aside Lancer's next spear thrust into the pillar behind him, Berserker found that he had little opportunity left to decide on the matter.

Lancer pulled back from the attack and paused briefly, before giving both Berserker and Caster a dirty look and leaping through the hole in the ceiling they had made prior without a word.

Caster seemed more than a little annoyed by this.

"What gives? One moment he's all 'I will be your death', and then he just up and leaves?! Rude, at least finish what you started."

 _What do you care? Isn't your whole gimmick… not caring?_

"We should…pursue him."

"Are you really so eager to continue getting skewered?"

"He is…likely heading back to defend…his Master. Ours will be in danger as well."

Putting on a pouty face, Caster sighed and drooped down like an impatient child.

"I know, I know. Sheesh, no need to spell it out."

Berserker said nothing more, just staring at the strange woman before him. Caster ignored him, looking up at the hole in the subway ceiling.

"That's a little high for me. Mind giving me a lift?"

Taking a second to decide if he would, Berserker placed himself under to hole, forming a cup with his hands and waiting for Caster to come forward.

She ran and leapt into his hands, finding herself flung through the hole at rocket like speeds.

"Wheeeeee!"

 _Wait…didn't the TV show her flying away before? Why did she need my help?_

* * *

Hoshi found herself fighting off a barrage of charging insects, while at the same time assigning a drone to fire at Eiji's gems so as to detonate them earlier than the young mage desired.

The cousins had reunited quickly, since Hoshi was too distracted defending herself from Tendou's attacks to continue to trigger her traps around Eiji. The commotion happening on her floor had also confirmed her location for Eiji, giving him a destination to head for.

"Really, now you're running? Not so fun being on the other end of the chase, is it?"

Her true gender meant little to Eiji, though he did make a note not to automatically assume each enemy mage would naturally be male. Something his mother would be sure to never let him hear the end of if she became aware of this mistake.

Continuing to escape up the stairs, Hoshi gritted her teeth as she destroyed the pursuing magics with each floor she ascended. Flailing her wires at each incoming gem or swarm was beginning to tire her out.

 _Lancer, get here! Both of them have made my position!_

Backing up into the corner of the 8th floor room, she brought her arms up to defend herself, as if the two opposing mages would agree to a physical brawl.

Eiji was the next to make it up to that floor, taking up position on one side of the room while still staying close to the doorway. Tendou made it up a little while later, panting.

"Look, just surrender your command seals and head to the church. I rather not have to bust your kneecaps or anything, but if need be I'll make you stop attacking me."

"What, just like that? If you're not prepared to get dirty, you shouldn't be participating. How on Earth did your family manage to win the last Grail War?"

"There were…special circumstances."

"Well, you've made your offer. Here's mine."

The wall behind her broke apart, dust flying all around. All of the debris from it fell down to the street below, and in its place stood Lancer. His shield came over his Master, while he pointed his spear directly at the two opposing mages.

"Stay still. No need for this to get any messier than necessary."

Neither of the two boys moved, frozen out of fear and recognition of how horrible their situation is. Though they had managed to corner the Einzbern representative, they now found themselves face-to-face with her Servant, a rather imposing and pissed off looking Lancer. Maybe if they used a Command Seal, they could forcefully teleport their own Servants here, but a natural desire to not use up their own stalled their decision.

A choice that could cost them their lives.

"While not my way, this is the best chance to rid myself of those two nuisances. Your war ends here, little mages!"

In an instant he was directly in front of them, his spear drawn back to skewer Eiji.

Thankfully…

"Special delivery, yeah bitches!"

Another challenger felt the need to interrupt. Floating above them, a man on some sort of invisible boarding ramp was firing down at them with a grenade launcher in hand.

For see, while Johnny Cid likes to think of himself as a patient man, he was certainly not a polite one…

* * *

FFR: Hey guys, been a while. I'll try to get the next chapter of this and my other fanfic out by then end of the month (sure you've heard that before).

Also, thought I'd leave Noble Phantasm info at the end of chapters where they first appear. Let me know if you all like this addition.

Noble Phantasms Used this Chapter:

 **Laconian Strike (Anti-Fortress)** : a NP powered by enemy attacks, so long as they are blocked and absorbed by Lancer's shield. It can even withstand and draw power from Anti-Unit Noble Phantasms, though anything stronger and Lancer risks destroying his shield. When the true name is called out, Lancer's next spear thrust has the power to decimate a fortress' gate and walls, though it is not a beam attack but rather a shockwave emerging from a glowing red spear…

 **Violent Punish (Anti-Unit)** : Berserker's signature move from his days hunting Amazons (animalistic lab creatures, not the warrior women), it's power has increased upon him coming to this world and being summoned as he now is. Beyond just bisecting whoever is unfortunate enough to be slashed by his arm-blades, his finishing attack now produces a vacuum blade affect, allowing Berserker to slash through people and objects a distance away from him, or knock back other attacks of lower or equal power.

 **Rage of Sparta (Anti-Unit (Self))** : Instead of focusing the power his shield has absorbed into his spear, Lancer draws it all into his own body, mimicking his brother's berserker tendencies and granting himself extra power just under ranks of what a proper Berserker would have. His Strength and Endurance rise a rank, and his body gains a fearsome red glow, which slightly burns to the touch.


End file.
